“I Want To Do Edgy Roles Which Are Out Of My Comfort Zone As An Actress”- Anangsha Biswas

In this free-wheeling interview, Anangsha Biswas tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that it is just by chance that she is known for her stint in web series, which she is sure will change the future of cinema .

What lured you to acting?

I participated in the talent hunt Zee Star Ki Khoj in Kolkata just for a lark when I was in school and won the crown and came down to Mumbai. It was my first ever exposure to Bollywood. Unfortunately I did not win in the final round in Mumbai and went back to Kolkata. I think it was good that I did not win the crown because had I won it, I may not have had the burning desire to prove it top the world that I can be an actor.

You started acting in theater first. What did your stint as an actor in theatre teach you?

I trained in acting with Akash Khurana and Akarsh Khurana and inched my way through towards being an actor. Theatre taught me to be consistent in my craft. I also learned to practice my craft everyday and follow my routine. The subject is vast. You have to be loyal to your craft and cannot be generic. You have to observe people, know how to talk to people and also try to know what the sub text is. If you do not work every day and hone your skills, you cannot succeed

How has your stint been in Bollywood?

My journey till date has been very interesting. I came down to Mumbai though I did not know anyone at all. I did a small cameo in Sudhir Mishra’s film Khoya Khoya Chand and followed it up with Benny And Bablu in which Rajpal Yadav and Kay Kay Menon were my co-actors. Till date I have acted in not just one or two but six films in Hindi  like Khoya Khoya Chand, Benny And Bablu, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, Fraud Saiyyan, Ascharyachakit and Vikram Davar’s short film Pratibimb.

After the web series Mirzapur, you are now playing Hyma in the web series Hostages.

In Mirzapur, I played the role of the glamorous entertainer Zarina Begum. In the latest web series Hostages, directed by Sudhir Mishra, I am playing the role of Hyma, which is a character which is dynamically different from the character of Zarina Begum in Mirzapur and has grey shades

What is your aim as an actor?

Fame and money are all okay. I want to be respected as an actor, like Smita Patil was. There is no comparison at all between Smita and I but she was a very bankable actress of her time while I am slowly and steadily inching my way towards that kind of respect as an actor with the kind of work that I am doing now.

Do you agree that your beauty and ultra modern looks may serve as a handicap when it comes to being recognized as a good actress?

First of all thanks for your compliments. I take it as a back handed compliment. Today talent isn’t associated with good looks and what’s more, intelligence is also not associated with women unfortunately. However, things are changing nowadays. Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil have always been good looking in my eyes  though they may not be beautiful in the conventional sense because let’s face facts beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

You seem to be sought after by web series of late. Have you decide to cut down on films?

It is just by chance that I am known for my stint in web series, which I am sure, will change the future of cinema in India and also abroad. If I am not doing many films, it is only because I am not ready to sell my soul but learning a lot by doing food work without repeating my characters. I refused to take up some mundane roles in films which would have not allowed me to grow but stagnate in the long run and instead opted for some exciting and edgy roles in out of the box series like Mirzapur and hostages to remind me that I am alive and also out of my own comfort zone as an actress.

How open are you to go in for skin exposure in web series where there is no censorship at all?

In the film Ascharyachakit which is beamed on Netflix, I did a lot of bold scenes with Priyanka Bose. A role is a role and out society too is changing in a big way today and so is our content. The way the kids talk these days si also changing and it should be least of botheration how much skin an actress is ready to show. What is important is to see whether the content is good because global content is changing today, whether you like it or not. I am very passionate about acting and do not just consider it just as a job. If nudity is an integral part of the script that I am offered, I am game to shed my clothes or expose but I have kept myself away from films or web series if nudity is being incorporated just for the sake of nudity or to titillate the viewers It all depends on who the director is what the script is.

Who are your favorite actors and actresses?

My favorite actors are Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Naseeruddin Shah etc and my favorite actresses are Deepika Padukone, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.

Who are the directors who are on your wish list as an actress?

Vishal Bharadwaj and Sudhir Mishra are in my wish list. I have just started my career as an actress and want to become better in whatever I do. I have told Sudhir Mishra that he is like Satyajit Ray because he is very patient and very giving. What I like the best about him is that at the stage in which he is placed now, he  does not have to be as warm as he is and go out of the way to help the actors create a character as part of his or her journey

You have been a part of films, web series as well as TV and theatre. In what way is each different from the other?

One web series is equal to five feature films put together and is basically an extension of films. Media is the same. Whether it is a film or the web series, it gives you an opportunity to get to work with progressive makers who help you grow and hone your craft better.

What is your approach as an actress when you play a role?

I like to add my own inputs to my character. I have worked with different kinds of directors. Some like me questioning them about the nuances of my character while some do not like it. In any case, I am adaptable and like doing my own home work before I start interpreting my character.

What does success mean to you?

Success to me is getting to play a variety of characters. To be able to sustain myself to get to do different roles is tough for me.

What is your take on nepotism in the film industry?

Nepotism is in its own place and I do not look down upon it. Like my parents are doctors and wanted me to become a doctor too but II opted for a career as an actor in films and web series because I was not inclined to be a doctor.

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