Sudipta Chakraborty’s portrayal of Malati, the lively domestic help in Rituparno Ghosh’s underrated 2000 film ‘Bariwali’, stood out for the youthful warmth she brought into the life of the lonely Banalata. That performance, which earned her a National Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’, still resonates. Cut to ‘Aapish’, Sudipta steps into the shoes of another domestic help, Hashi, but this time, the world around her has changed.
“Yes, Malati and Hashi do similar work and most directors still want to cast me in such roles. But Hashi is her own person, shaped by very different experiences in a more current setting,” said Sudipta.
Inspired by a story by Bani Basu, ‘Aapish’ directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha, explores how women, regardless of their economic or social status, often end up putting their families ahead of themselves. The film explores the quiet tension between self-interest and sacrifice in women’s lives, showing how little has really changed.
Take Mousumi (played by Sandipta Sen), for example. She’s well educated and holds a respectable job yet still ends up making all the compromises in her marriage, unlike her husband, played by Kinjal Nanda. Despite their different positions in society, Mousumi and Hashi find their lives connected.
“I play a modern, working woman trying to juggle career and home, something so many women go through. My character is constantly judged, especially when she can’t live up to the expectations placed on her. I think a lot of women will see themselves in her,” said Sandipta.