No godfather, no safety set: Mimi Chakraborty

More often than not, Bengali actress Mimi Chakraborty has just two releases a year. This year, however, promises to be an exciting one. Mimi will be seen in Aritra Mukherjee’s ‘Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’, slated for release on Netaji Jayanti, while she is simultaneously shooting for Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Emperor Vs Sarat Chandra’. Adding to the lineup is a web series with Nirjhar Mitra, with whom she previously collaborated on ‘Dainee’, titled ‘Queens’.

“I started shooting young and then I was shooting three films a year without a break. I worked non-stop till I was 30. Now, I get to pick and choose,” Mimi said with a smile.

One of the few actresses in the Bengali film industry to consistently speak out about pay disparity, Mimi has never shied away from drawing clear lines. She has often spoken about letting go of projects due to unreasonable demands, including what she calls ‘unnecessary kissing scenes’. For her, remuneration is not merely about numbers - it is about dignity and survival.

“At the end of the day, my work is my backbone. I have to run my life, pay for my gym, personal trainer and packed meals... everything comes at a cost. I have no godfather in the industry. No one is giving me anything for free, so why should I compromise?” she said.

Clear about her boundaries, Mimi added, “I won’t do certain scenes. That’s why sometimes I have to walk away from work. It depends on who’s offering the role and how comfortable I feel,” she said.

That trust played a key role in her decision to do ‘Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’. “I’ve been working with Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay’s production house for years. When I played a mother in ‘Posto’, many people told me I shouldn’t because I was a mainstream heroine. But I trusted them and the experience turned out to be wonderful. Then came the ‘Raktabeej’ franchise. That comfort factor made it easy for me to say yes to ‘Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’,” said the ‘Bojhena Se Bojhena’ actress.

The film marks Mimi’s first foray into the horror-comedy genre, something she is genuinely excited about. She has earlier been part of ensemble entertainers like ‘Jamai 420’ and ‘Kathmandu’. “It’s so much fun! The cast of ‘Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’ is great. Swastika Dutta is sweet. Bonny Sengupta is fantastic and looks amazing on screen. Soham and I had a great time shooting our portions together,” she said.

In ‘Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’, Mimi plays a lawyer, a role she seems to attract frequently. “Maybe I was a lawyer in my previous life,” she laughed, recalling her similar roles in ‘Dhananjoy’ and ‘Jaha Bolbibo Shotto Bolibo’.

Speaking candidly about the Bengali film industry, Mimi said, “People focus so much on release dates and promotions, but no one really talks about women’s payment. Pay parity is still a massive issue.”

Mimi also placed her trust in the same production house for her Bollywood debut with ‘Shastry Virudh Shastry’, the Hindi remake of ‘Posto’. Asked if she plans to work more in Mumbai, she recalled missing out on some major projects due to date issues.

“Sometimes, dates just don’t work out. A very big project couldn’t happen because my dates were blocked. I tried calling later, but by then the contract had already been signed with someone else. It’s frustrating, but that’s how the business works,” she said.

Meanwhile, she is equally thrilled about collaborating with Srijit for the first time. While the filmmaker is often perceived as a tough taskmaster, Mimi described the experience so far as nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.