Rani deserves National Award for 'Black': Konkona SenSharma



By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, June 9 (IANS) Actress Konkona SenSharma, who is busy juggling dates for the producers queuing outside her doorstep, says she wouldn't mind losing the National Award to Rani Mukerji.

"Rani in 'Black' is simply outstanding. She must get it. I have already got one for 'Mr & Mrs Iyer'. So even if I miss it for '15 Park Avenue' I wouldn't be heartbroken," Konkona told IANS.

Apart from acting, Konkona loves travelling and tries to squeeze in short trips in her over busy shooting schedule. Recently she went to Spain and says it has become one of her favourite holiday spots.

"Spain is my current favourite. I love to travel. And I often do so alone. I love the feeling of a new place. I make friends quite easily. I was in Japan recently on my own. And I made a couple of life-long friends. Travelling broadens my horizon for sure."

She's so often out of the country she could well be the Preity Zinta of the avante garde cinema.

"Is she (Preity) out of the country so often? I don't know. I love travelling alone. I have just returned from Spain. I was on the jury for the Asian Film Festival. It was the first time on a jury for me and I had a great time catching up with films I hadn't seen. Believe it or not, it actually rained in Spain, ha!"

After Spain, Konkona went to the US for two festivals in Pittsburgh and Maryland where two of her films "Amu" and "15 Park Avenue" were shown.

She returned from the US in the last week of May and headed straight for Karjat to join Madhur Bhandarkar's "Traffic Signal".

"It was a four-day cameo. I had a tough time accommodating the dates. But I couldn't say no to Madhur. Look at what he did in 'Page 3'. And I wouldn't want to say no anyway to a role like this.

"It's a really challenging role of a prostitute. I'd a nice challenge to get the body language and lingo in place."

Considering how saucily Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi and Preity Zinta played a tart in Gulzar's "Mausam", Lekh Tandon's "Doosri Dulhan" and Abbas-Mustan's "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" respectively, Konkona has a hard act to follow up.

"It required me to be street-smart spunky and sassy and earthy. I haven't done these things in any of my roles."

She has another cameo in Vishal Bhardawaj's "Omkara".

"I'm cast opposite Saif Ali Khan, can you believe it? It's not a big role. But it's interesting enough."

She's kicked about Rituparno Ghosh's "Sunglass" which starts shooting in July.

"Because I always enjoy working with Ritu-da. My just-released 'Dosar' was very interesting. I am so lucky to have done a black-and-white film in this day and age. I liked my character because 'she doesn't get cowed down by her husband's infidelity. She fights it out.

"And 'Sunglass' is my first bilingual so I get to speak in Hindi and Bengali. Both are languages I am not completely at home in.

"Since my leading man changes in the two versions I'd get an interesting perception on the same theme through two different languages and co-stars."