It's rare to get a chance to have a candid conversation with Raima Sen these days. The actress has a busy schedule as she simultaneously shoots for projects both in Hindi and Bengali. And she's all smiles about the abundance in her kitty.
On the occasion of one of her most cherished Hindi films - Parineeta, which re-released in theatres today, the actress spoke about the film at length and the memories she has of it. In addition to that, the 45-year-old addressed dealing with online trolling, particularly the one she faced during The Vaccine War.
What's Happening
- In the current series of events, Filmmaker Vivek Agnohotri is once again embroiled in a controversy over his film The Bengal Files. The film, which is based on the Great Calcutta Killings of 1946, has been facing multiple FIRs, along with its trailer launch getting cancelled.
- Amid The Bengal Files Row, Raima Sen, who has collaborated with Vivek Agnihotri in The Vaccine War, opened up about the massive trolling she faced just for being part of a political film like that.
- Raima Sen recalls, "Everybody gets trolled, even though I look like the type who doesn't, I get trolled. Especially during The Vaccine War. Without even watching the film, I was judged so much. So now it doesn't bother me because people will say what they want to. At this stage, I've realised people will talk about you anyway, so it doesn't matter."
- She added, "I lost a lot of followers, and everyone started saying so many things. And I was like, wow, in my entire career, this has never happened. And this is the first time this has happened. But for me, as my dad would say and my grandmother would say, it's bad publicity or good publicity, it is still publicity. So enjoy it. It's better to be talked about than not talked about at all."
- Speaking of whether such an intense response to controversial films is out of our control, Raima elaborates, "The funny part is no one even saw The Vaccine War, but just being a part of a film and without watching the film, without knowing anything, people are trolling you. So now I understand the extent. Honestly, people don't know what exactly they're trolling because you haven't watched a film, and just because I'm a part of a film, you're trolling me. These are just faceless trolls. But I'm okay, I'm happy I did the film because I think it made quite an impact, because I've never been trolled. I had bad publicity for a change."
- Speaking of whether the reaction was bigger in Calcutta or if it was just something that blew up, Raima says, "I think mainly Calcutta. I don't know, maybe because I was a part of the project. They thought I was joining politics and all that. And Bengalis are very protective of their own people. I don't know what they thought. And I hope that they've seen the film and they have changed their mind."
About The Vaccine War
Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine War was based on the devastation that took over the world as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed over us. As the Indian medical community worked day and night to develop a vaccine that would be a solution to this widespread disease, the story unravelled to showcase the various obstacles faced, from budget cuts to extensive and critical press coverage.
Raima Sen played the role of a fiery journalist, Rohini Singh Dhulia, who might have been sort of a grey character. Earnest yet sceptical, she is a science journalist who is not sure about India's ability to create a vaccine that can combat this pandemic. She becomes a negative media influence; her performance was appreciated for its authenticity and convincing portrayal.
In A Nutshell
While Raima Sen did not comment on The Bengal Files, she did give an honest take on how she was trolled for being a part of Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine War. Despite it being a controversial film, trolls passed judgments without even watching it, but the actress is glad she did the film, as it had a great impact.
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