Screening of my film at Nandan is dream come true: Anasuya

KOLKATA: Anasuya Sengupta has every reason to celebrate. The Kolkata-born actress made history as the first Indian to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film ‘The Shameless’. She was elated that the movie was screened at Nandan during the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).

Anasuya, who won the trophy in the Un Certain Regard segment at Cannes, fondly recalled her early days watching countless films at Nandan. “Screening of my film at Nandan is a dream come true. I grew up in Kolkata and this city has shaped me.

For years, I worked behind the camera, and seeing my name in the credits used to be a huge achievement for me. Now, watching myself as an actress on the screen at Nandan and having my city come to see my film feels like life has come full circle,” she said. Anasuya attended the screening with her co-star Omara (Devika). In the film, directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, she portrays Renuka, a young woman from a Delhi brothel who escapes after killing a police officer. She finds refuge in a community of sex workers in northern India, where she meets Devika, a young girl trapped in prostitution.

Their bond grows into a forbidden romance. Previously seen in Anjan Dutt’s ‘Madly Bangalee’, Anasuya hasn’t appeared in any Bengali films since. Before Bojanov offered her ‘The Shameless’, she also worked as a production designer. When asked about her interest in Bengali films, the Jadavpur University graduate said: “I am getting offers for Bengali films but I’m just waiting for a role that truly excites me.”