I wanted to be an architect, fate took me to films. Now that I am into politics, I want to give my best here.
Waiting is always a part of people involved in the film industry. Be it on the floor, in the make-up room or at home. All my life I have waited for a good role.
I would say that every political party must remain in some form in a state or the Centre for the sake of democracy.
I think it is very difficult for a man to accept a celebrity as his wife. One has to be extremely emancipated to do it. No Indian male is.
I never accepted any invitation which came only in my name. I never took any calls before 9am and after 10pm. As soon as my shoot would wrap up, I used to head home without even removing my make-up. I did everything that a girl should to keep her man happy.
My marriage was always my first priority. I had left my career to go and settle with Dhrubo in Kolkata. I have never behaved like a celebrity at home.
Pray for me, I need happiness in life. It was a very tough decision to leave my husband and son and come away to Mumbai and start all over again.
I still feel the affection of the fans that I get because of my acting career.
I want to build the India that we all want.
I have always worked with utmost care. I have given my 25 years. I seemed I have more to offer than just acting. So, there is no regret.
I have always been brazen. That's why I can't tolerate corruption.
Even before I became an artiste, when I barely had the means to support anyone financially, I took care of several destitute women, giving them shelter, food and clothing.
I have seen poverty first hand. My parents were not well-off. They were in Ban'gladesh and I - just a child then - was sent off to live in my uncle's house in Calcutta.
I have struggled in life and this has made me sensitive towards the needs of others. Politics gives you the opportunity to really do something.
I have stayed in homes that didn't have basic infrastructure such as proper washrooms.
I am aware that there was a general opinion among people that I was close to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, among other Left leaders. Yes, I was close to them because I had to work closely with the state government.
I started a festival of short films produced for television, and as the secretary of the organisation that ran it I used to work very closely with the state government.
Ours was a family of engineers with no political affiliation; art and culture were the only things that we discussed at home.
I had moved to Mumbai in 2006 and lived there for around six years while West Bengal was going through a political upheaval. After I returned to Kolkata in February 2012, and started to work here, I realized how things had changed here.
I wanted to play a domestic help all my life... Because I wanted to break my image.
