With Nava Varsha around the corner and the auspicious occasion symbolising all things new, we dialled Subhashree Ganguly with a request to shoot for us in looks that she has never tried before. And the versatile star was game. Over the course of a week, she brainstormed with her team, suggesting the mood board and locations, looping us in on the concepts. On a sweltering hot Monday morning, we shot on the streets of Rajarhat, the heat never deterring Subhashree to pose for the perfect shot though. She later told us she loves engaging with ideas that she likes.
And, though she might have skipped sweets at lunch, Subhashree, the “foodie”, was all set for her luchi, shada aloo’r torkari, a special mutton preparation, pulao... on Poila Baisakh, with her family. Festivals are all about family gatherings for Subhashree, enlivened with her full-throated laughter, of course. A Telegraph chat on the sidelines of the shoot.
We loved how involved you were in this shoot. How was it conceptualising it?
I love it. You saw what great energy my team has. This was a big shoot with three changes and it would be carried in The Telegraph, but even for a normal occasion, we plan it because we love it. We had been planning to shoot this for a while now for our social media, but when The Telegraph approached us, we decided to do it with The Telegraph! (Laughs)
You have never tried these looks...
We always try to do different looks and therein lies the fun and it is great trying new things. Fashion for me is trying a lot of different looks. We love trying new things.
Are you this involved in everything you do?
Yes yes absolutely. I am basically extreme. I am a Scorpion. Jodi kono kichhu te mon na thake, aami janboi na okhane ki hochhe and jetate mon thakbe, there will be more than 100 per cent involvement.
Nava Varsha is about new beginnings. What are the new things in your life this year?
My son (Yuvaan) will be going to school (play school) from tomorrow. That’s new! He, of course, is not understanding anything, but I am very excited. I just gave birth to him and he is going to school! Bhabtei parchhi na! Bag, tiffin box and water bottles... I have bought everything myself. I am excited for him that he’ll be stepping into a new world and will meet new people and make friends. He will have a greater exposure.
Everyone calls you ‘Subho’. Much like Shubho Nava Varsha, there is a certain feel-good factor in your name. You never dodge questions. Your answers are always candid and yet they don’t offend people...
Journalists do their homework just like I am very involved in my shoots. If a journalist feels he or she needs to ask me this question and the audience should know about it, then why shouldn’t I answer?
With the afternoon sun beating down on Subhashree and the whole team, the Parineeta actor posed in this derelict bus, stationed in the middle of a Rajarhat expanse, dangerously strewn with glass shards and protruding metal parts of the bus. “The location and the colour of the costume were the highlights for me. The make-up and hair were also different,” she said. Subhashree sported a Mehek Talreja tangerine co-ord set complemented by voluminous curls + sunset eyes + glossy-tinted lips + metallic gladiator sandals.
And you don’t get offended no matter how personal the question may be...
By God’s grace, I have internalised this over the years. I don’t get offended easily and khub close manush jara, taader thekei aami offended hoi, but that’s also rare. I like being happy all the time! (Laughs)
How have you done it? Please share the secret!
It’s not that I don’t get angry, but then I distance myself from the situation or the person. I try to analyse the other person’s psychology... why he or she is behaving this way? I try to control my anger and remain calm to handle the situation better.
Do you have an ego?
Everyone has ego, but faltu ego rekhe labh nei. You should be smart about it and look at your growth as a person and what makes you happy. Today if you tell me an outfit is not looking nice on me, I’ll try to analyse which perspective are you talking from and I will try on what you are telling me. I would love to see it from your lens too.
What is your source of happiness?
It is a state of mind, which is why I don’t get offended or things don’t affect me that much. Whenever I get upset or angry, I remind myself it is a small life and there is no point in wasting the precious moments. That is my philosophy. Everyone is very positive in my house. My husband (film-maker Raj Chakraborty) and I are of the same mentality and even my mother-in-law. My son would inherit it because of the environment. My house helps have evolved. My husband inspires me a lot as does my mother-in-law. She is my biggest cheerleader. If she sees me working out, she will tell my son: ‘When you grow up, you have to gym like your mother!’
The last look of the day was a colour splash. The skort was complemented by the play of layered jackets and a pair of Air Jordans. Neon green eyeliner, fuchsia pink lips and wet braided hair completed the colour-blocked look with a hint of “androgyny”. “We were sceptical about where we can shoot this. The subway with escalators was great and we even got the right light (twilight),” smiled Subhashree.
We feel that you have kept alive that girl from Burdwan in you somewhere. How have to managed to do it despite all the negativity that comes with a profession, with people constantly trying to pull you down?
Our lives are made of the good and the bad. Bad and trying times are important, those are times which will make you a better person and you can learn a lot. It will also make you value the good times even more. I feel every experience is important. Jibone golpo na thakle hobe na. That graph is important. Only then will you have an interesting life story. Nijer shathe katha bolata important and the self-analysis too. We normally think we can never err, but try to analyse where you are going wrong. The day you can do that, you are sorted.
You must be forgiving by nature...
Absolutely, but I don’t let the situation escalate to the level of forgiveness. I always put myself in the other person’s shoes.
Poila Baisakh is all about firsts. Any memorable firsts for you?
The day I got to know I was pregnant was February 14. It will always be a cherished memory.
What is the secret to your forever glow?
I think happiness, but I do have my skin breaking out too! (Laughs) I think they love all the girls! You should also have a healthy lifestyle. Eat clean and sleep well. Take out that time for yourself to exercise. And, of course spend time with your family and you will glow!
Mon khule celebrate. We have lost the last two years of our lives. Be as careful as possible though. Wear masks and sanitise. And Bangali maanei, pet pujo. And please watch films in the theatre
Subhashree’s Nava Varsha message for The Telegraph readers
Pictures: Pabitra Das
Styled by: Siza and Tanumita
Assisted by: Suvosri
Make-up: Sayanta Dhali
Hair: Sarmistha Majhi
Accessories and outfits apart from the tangerine co-ord set: Stylist’s own
Special thanks: Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata