Actress and now filmmaker, Konkona Sen Sharma, refuses to look at her mother, Aparna Sen, as competition. Speaking to PTI News, Konkona said that these comparisons were always made up by journalists.
“Even when I started acting, the journalists themselves would come up with these comparisons. But that’s how people think. It’s not how we think. I can’t think of her as a competition. She is the pioneer and I’m really happy to follow in her footsteps. I am glad she was there to carry the torch first. You cannot control how other people see you. And that’s totally valid,” she said.
Konkona, who makes her directorial debut with A Death In The Gunj, says she doesn’t really believe in competition despite many pitting her against her mother. A noted filmmaker, screenwriter and actress herself, Aparna Sen has been regarded as one of Bengal’s finest filmmakers, having won three National Film Awards and nine international film festival awards and even the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, by the government of India in 1987.
Asserting that she only follows the high standards she sets, Konkona also spoke about the budget constraints she faced.
“What happens is you don’t have the luxury to try things out. You have to go with a plan. And then may be there are some moments which are magical or spontaneous – which are very few in this film,” she said.
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A Death In The Gunj is a drama thriller set in the 1970s. The film’s World premiere took place at the 21st annual 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016. Its Asian premiere was held at the 21st Busan International Film Festival on 7 October 2016. It was chosen as the Opening Film for the 18th Mumbai Film Festival where it was screened on 21 October 2016 and where Konkona received the ‘MasterCard Best India Female Filmmaker 2016 Award’.
Starring Vikrant Massey, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Tillotama Shome, Gulshan Devaiah, Jim Sarbh, and even late veteran actor Om Puri. The film explores an uneventful family holiday that takes a twist when the guests start playing with the spirits. The film is slated for a 2 June release.