I’m glad I’m not offered bikini roles: Raima Sen (Interview)

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KOLKATA - Actress Raima Sen, who has made a name for herself in the Bengali film industry as well as Bollywood with her offbeat roles, says she is ready to sport a bikini on screen if she finds the script exceptionally good. Given a choice, though, she would go for period films.

“I don’t like to wear a bikini on screen. I thank god that till date I haven’t got such roles where I need to wear a bikini because I don’t think wearing one will add glamour to the role,” Raima, 30, told IANS in an interview.

“But if a script comes to me and if it’s really a very, very good script and the role demands, then it’s okay wearing a bikini,” said the star of such films as “Chokher Bali” and “Parineeta”.

Raima comes from an illustrious Bengali film family - her grandmother, legendary actress Suchitra Sen, was one of the most sought after in Bengali as well as Hindi movies. And her mother Moon Moon Sen was a yesteryear sex symbol. Her sister Riya too is active in Hindi movies.

Best known in the industry for her innocent and girl-next-door looks, Raima’s beauty has often been compared to that of her grandmother’s.

“I feel honoured when people compare my looks with those of my grandmother,” she said.

Raima made her debut in the film industry with a small role in the critically acclaimed Hindi movie “Godmother” in 1999. But her acting skills were overshadowed by the presence of Shabana Azmi who was the main protagonist.

She is open to all kinds of roles and is very keen to feature in period films.

“I am open to all kinds of roles and if you ask me about my dream role, then I will say it’s period films. I would like to act if there is a remake of any period films,” she said.

Raima has made a mark in the film industry in the last 10 years by doing roles of substance. She was first critically acclaimed for her breathtaking performance in director Rituparno Ghosh’s 2003 Bengali movie “Chokher Bali”.

Her role in Pradeep Sarkar’s 2005 movie “Parineeta” also won her rave reviews and later she wowed audiences with her performances in Bengali film “Anuranan” (2005) and Hindi movie, “Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd” (2007).

When asked to describe herself as an artist, she said: “I am a spontaneous actress.”

Talking about her future projects, she said: “I have a few projects such as ‘Memories’ in March, ‘Mirch’, ‘Naukadubi’, ‘Natobar Not Out’.”

She is really excited about “Mirch” and “Naukadubi”.

“Mirch” has been directed by Vinay Shukla. The plot of the film revolves around four short stories. Raima features in two of them.

“Naukadubi”, based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, is directed by Rituparno Ghosh and is about wife swapping. Both Raima and Riya will play wives in the film.

Raima is currently enjoying her new role as a judge on the kid’s dance reality show “Twinkle Twinkle Dancing Stars” on Bengali entertainment channel Mahuaa Bangla, but says her heart lies in acting.

“Yes, I am enjoying my new role as a judge of this dance reality show of kids. It’s a different thing altogether. But I must say one thing - my passion is acting.”

This is the first time Raima is judging a reality show.

(Pradipta Tapadar can be contacted at pradipta.t@ians.in)