Tillotama Shome on The Children of War

Her heartbreaking performance in Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai received rave reviews. Meet Tillotama Shome, who is looking forward to the controversial film The Children of War that tells the untold stories of Bangladesh in 1971.

In a candid interview with The Hans India, Tillotama talks about her challenging role in the film, why she adores director Mrityunjay Devvrat and more...

1. After films like Monsoon Wedding, Shanghai why 'The Children of War'?

Why not? Perhaps I don't understand this question. I will do a film if it raises a question. The question could be as simple as "How am I even suppose to begin to understand how to play this part with a shred of authenticity?

2. Your thoughts on The Children of War.

I was very excited when I read the script and truly it was my hero. The fires burning most fiercely in the mirror at that time was the unmitigated violence against women. Nirbhaya blew the proverbial roof on a complacence that had to be stirred. In that context Mrityunjay's film came into my life, a film which deals with the same violence in a different political and historical context. I did not do it because it was an issue based film but because it was a well written story.

3. How was it to work with a young director like Mrityunjay Devvrat?

His enthusiasm for his film was endearing right from the get go. There is a certain ‘kar ke dikhaoonga' streak in him which is both refreshing and infectious. But it was his first film and he was handling new problems every day. I think each day presented us with the reality that making a film is like a war especially when you are doing it independently, but we all knew we were on the same team and wanted this story out. Besides that, we were all learning from each other.

4. What differences do you find between an Indian director and a foreign director?

The difference between an international and an Indian director are the same as the difference between two Indian directors. Every director has a different style. There is no ‘Indian or international style’ of direction. And I feel there is no need to romanticize one or the other.

5. What genre of movie do you generally watch?

I watch a lot of films because I have a lot of time!! So it would be easier for me to answer which genre I watch the least. I think the one genre I have a love hate relationship with is horror. I get scared easily, but I also like getting scared.

6. Tell us about your role in the film 'The children of war'

I play a woman who is in a rape camp and despite her unimaginable situation finds it in herself to support the freedom movement of the Mukti Bahini.

7. How did you prepare for this role?

My preparation? How do you prepare for a role where you are being raped? There are narratives I read but also just by accessing one's own nightmares of being raped, of not feeling safe. I am sure it’s not very difficult for any woman in India to access that fear. One just had to imagine for a moment that this is not a film and there will be no CUT. But there is a CUT and the CUT always made me question if I was authentic. Because the truth is I don’t know how it feels. But the bigger hurdle was the character's desire for freedom to which I had no access. Despite being raped repeatedly this woman still had life left in her to support the revolution. Women like Bhitika existed made me really question my privilege.

8. You have experimented with both commercial and offbeat cinema. Given a choice between the two, which one would you prefer and why?

The commercial Vs non commercial is a very limiting dichotomy. I grew up with a stammer and I made a conscious choice to do the one thing that felt impossible for someone like me: To Act! I challenged that self perception and wanted to see how far I could take that challenge. I choose from my gut and believe me my gut has no power to guess if a film will become a commercial success or remain an offbeat film. I just choose to keep working and improving myself and paying my bills doing it.

9. In one of your interviews you had said that you did an American film Letters only because you wanted to enact going through labour, an experience you fear in real life. Didn't rape scenes freak you out?

Like I said earlier, it freaks you out, only when you momentarily choose to believe that there will be no CUT. But you are saved, after its entire just make believe and at best you induce a moment of dis-empowerment.

10. In real life, you have worked with prisoners and women in domestic shelters. Tell us about it.

There is a very fine line between those of us who are in prison and those of us who are not. The men and women I worked with taught me that. And that fine line is a sum total of our privileges or the lack of it.

11. What next?

Watch more films and read more books. Sold by Jeffrey Brow and A New Life by Andreas Klienert are up next, besides that I will tell you when I know.