Tillotama Shome played the character of senior cop Meghna Barua in the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s much acclaimed show Paatal Lok. She spoke about the show and her reason for signing the same in an interview with us.
I know you are very picky. So, what made you decide to be part of Paatal Lok’s Season 2? It was fairly easy to make a decision to play the cop Meghna Barua a few minutes into reading the script by Sudip Sharma. The script was so dense and there were so many threads. It was exhilarating to see how each thread got woven into the other. Besides, I am a fan of season 1 and it was a dream to be asked to join a team that I had heard only good things about. From Avinash Arun, the director and cinematographer, to Naren and Benedict’s music, this is a dream team. I am so grateful that I got to journey with them.
What according to you makes Paatal Lok stand apart from the other series that swamp the OTT platform? I can only share something about the process of Paatal Lok that set it apart for me. The writer Sudip Sharma had got Anungla, a cultural researcher on board. He had given her the power to say no to anything in the frame that is an incorrect or insensitive portrayal of Nagaland, to avoid any cultural appropriation. So, Anungla not only taught me Nagamese, but was there for every day of the shoot, right at the monitor, watching everything. I was amazed by this. Process is key.
Do you enjoy the challenge of discovering new versions of yourself each time you accept a new project? What a wonderful observation and yes I do, and the unfamiliar bits of me, surprise me each time. Some in a nice way and some in a not so nice way. In this project, I realised I lack a sense of pride about where I live. In Nagaland, the people I met, especially the young, were so political and bursting with a sense of pride about their land.
Do you prefer playing strong women to the vulnerable ones? I ask as you have played both. No woman is stronger than one who acknowledges her vulnerabilities. The absence of vulnerability in the ‘strong’ is the kind of myth building that will only lead to an explosion. All of us are a mixture of strength and weakness. A complex character exploits both to eviscerate the human condition. It is interesting how the women in Paatal Lok rarely cry, there is a shift in their portrayal that I loved interpreting as an actor.
You have for your co-star in Paatal Lok, the skilled Jaideep Ahlawat. Is that an impetus for a more dedicated performance? It is an invitation to have a great time on set when you have an actor of Jaideep 's calibre. The dedication comes from one’s own love and hunger for the craft and to repay the makers trust in you.
Looking back, what were the landmark happenings in your life in the past one year? I turned producer for a very special film called Shadowbox/Baksho Bondi, directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi. It is my first as an actor-producer and has been the biggest learning curve of this year. A very, very humbling process. In fact, I went to the shooting of this film right after Paatal Lok. The joy and love I got on Paatal Lok really set me up for this precious film.
Also Read: Tillotama Shome on entering Paatal Lok Season 2 as SP Meghna Barua, “I thought the franchise’s team offering me a role was a joke until my first reading”
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