Delhi Crime Season 2: Tillotama Shome – “Karishma is a layered, unconventional and complex character”

What excited you to play the character of Karishma who is on the opposite side of the law?.

It was an action sequence and its dynamics which actually attracted me to take up that part [smiles]. The action was quirky gritty without depicting any blood or gore. It's left up to the imagination of the viewer. More importantly, as an actor, I wanted to explore beyond the morally upright characters. Karishma is a layered, unconventional and complex character and I wanted to take up the challenge of portraying the messed-up psyche. It's a rare one. Seldom do we get to know what motivates them to commit any kind of crime. What is their back-story?.

Their eyes even don't have the answers. It’s perplexing. It hints at the class divide that exists in the society. Many of us accept our fate. But there are some who are dreamers. To achieve that, they shockingly tread into the grey zone.

The line between sanity and insanity is a very thin one, but the line between a criminal and being innocent is even thinner. We all have magnets in us. We need to keep that in check. Karisma Solanki made me experiment with us.

Did you feel insecure about the other actors of Delhi Crime - Shefali, Rasika or Rajesh, whose characters were established in the first season itself and the fact that you are the new entrant in the second installment of the award winning web series?

No! Why would I?. The world of Karishma and that of Shefali or Rasika is entirely different. It was rather a kind of reunion with Shefali with whom I acted after a hiatus of 21 years (Monsoon Wedding was my first film!).

I had a great time with Shefali in the last parts of the narrative

With Rasika, I have acted in Qissa

With Rasika, I have acted in Qissa although we didn't share screen space in Delhi Crime. I firmly believe that if your co-actor is good, your performance naturally becomes good. It is the synergy that comes into play when you have a good working relationship with your co-actors. 

You are an actor who has exuded depth and sincerity in all her roles. You are arguably one of the finest artists that the industry has. Having said that, how difficult has it been for you to move from one character to another.

There is a huge gap between one character and another that I have played so far. I really like to avoid clashes. It’s only in the last eight months that my schedules have been awry and crammed.

Have you ever read any two books at the same time ? You haven't right! It works the same way in acting as well. I enjoy to stay focussed on one character and then move on to the next project. I started doing embroidery when I was playing Ratna (from Sir) who aspires to become a designer. Karishma also aspires to own a parlour. See human aspirations are more or less the same. The instincts are the same but they manifest differently. But, I immerse myself into the preparations and thoroughly enjoy the process as a human being.

I read my scripts thoroughly. Agar script acchi ho toh zyada mehnat nahin karni padti[chuckles].

Are you enjoying the kind of recognition that OTT is giving you and the current breed of actors in this space?

Of course I am! The current wave of streaming is really encouraging and it is going to be bigger and better. When I did my first film, Monsoon Wedding, 20 years back, it was a watershed moment for the film industry.

Independent film makers were rare. But now, many such talented people are able to showcase their caliber and exploit the true potential of the deserving set of actors. At the same time, I with that my director gives me my space to expand my wings of creativity.

But if you micro-monitor or spoon-feed an actor for every frame, then it gets claustrophobic.

If I give you your five films - Sir, Qissa, Monsoon Wedding, Shanghai and A Death in the Gunj, which one would you choose as your favorite ?

Aisa mat karo yaar! It's like picking your favorite among your five children! Honestly, I can't differentiate. Every character is immensely dear to me and I always put in my best efforts to portray them.

Panchayat 2 : मिलिए फुलेरा के बिनोद और बनराकस से

Dekh Raha Hai Binod.. yes.. Durgesh Kumar and Ashok Pathak from Panchayat 2 who got famous with their charecters Binod and Banrakas had a wondedrful interaction with cineblues conducted by Ahwaan Padnee