Looking for roles with impactful narratives: Rafiath Rashid Mithila

Bangladeshi actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila’s journey into the world of acting began when she was in class III. Little did she know that this initial encounter with the stage would pave the way for a career in acting. Today, Mithila gracefully manages both her acting career and her role in the international development sector. Till now, Mithila was mainly known for her acting skills in Bangladesh, but with Raajhorshee De’s ‘Mayaa’, a Bengali adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic ‘Macbeth’, she has made her big Tollywood debut.

“I was more excited than nervous when the film was released. ‘Mayaa’ was the first film that came my way in Tollywood. It’s an adaptation of ‘Macbeth’ and this was one of the major reasons for doing the film. Also, when I read the script and learnt about my character, I got intrigued,” she said.

Before her prominent role in ‘Mayaa’, Mithila made a brief appearance in the Prosenjit Chatterjee-starrer ‘Aaye Khuku Aaye’. However, she believed ‘Mayaa’ was the perfect film for her debut on the big screen in Tollywood. She also clarified that she is not playing the character of Lady Macbeth. She emphasised that her role in ‘Mayaa’ is entirely the brainchild of the director. Nonetheless, while shooting for the film, she discovered some intriguing traits in her character that reminded her of the three witches in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth.’ “Mayaa serves as an alter ego of Lady Macbeth,” she said.

Mithila has worked on both sides of the border and highlighted that regardless of the location, the work ethics among actors and their passion for delivering quality performances remain consistent. However, one noticeable difference she pointed out is that Tollywood tends to focus more on literary adaptations, while Bangladesh’s film industry works mainly on original stories.

Ever since the entry of OTT platforms, Bangladesh content has also become increasingly popular among Indians, mostly Bengalis in Kolkata. She credited Bangladesh for its long-standing commitment to content creation, which has now found a global appreciation due to the proliferation of OTT platforms.

Meanwhile, Mithila wants to ‘ignore’ all the rumours surrounding her separation from her husband-director, Srijit Mukherji. “I think if I get irritated thinking about all these, it would be a waste of time. So, the best way to deal is to ignore it,” she said.

When asked about her favorite film among those directed by Srijit, pat comes her reply: “I like ‘Jaatishwar’ a lot. There are also other films of his which I loved watching.”

Up next, Mithila will be seen in Anirban Chakraborty’s ‘Abhagir Swargo’, a film based on renowned Bengali author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s work. Then there’s Arnab Middya’s ‘Meghla’, where once again she plays the central character. “More than playing leading roles, I am looking for characters where I will have enough scope to act and add to the narrative,” she said.