Paoli Dam: Rituparno Ghosh's death still haunts me

Highlights

• Bengali actress Paoli Dam, who starred in Rituparno Ghosh's Shob Charitro Kalponik is still haunted by the sudden death of the maverick filmmaker and says they were planning to do another film together.
• "It was absolutely fantastic to work with him in Shob Charitro. It still haunts me to think that he is no more. The past few days have been really low for me. I was supposed to meet him as we were discussing a film together," Paoli told PTI in an interview over phone from Kolkata.
• The 32-year-old actress played the role of Kajori Ray, the muse of lead actor Prosenjit and Paoli fondly recalls how the director would take interest in dressing her up.
• "I remember before we commenced shoot, Ritu da asked me to drape a sari and himself did my make-up. He just loved dressing me up. I was very nervous on my first day but he made me comfortable. He just looked at me and said Hoye jabe (You can do it) and I actually did complete the scene in just one take.
• "He was always very supportive. It is not that we spoke on regular basis but I knew if I ever needed him, he would be there," she said.
• Paoli made her Bollywood debut with erotic thriller Hate Story and will be next seen in Suhail Tatari's Ankur Arora Murder Case, which has been produced and written by Vikram Bhatt.
• The film also stars Kay Kay Menon, Tisca Chopra and Vishakha Singh and will hit theatres next Friday.
• Incidentally the name of Paoli's character in her upcoming film is also Kajori.
• "Vikram offered me this film after Hate Story. It is a film based on medical malpractice which is so prevalent in our country," Paoli said.
• Paoli actress started her career with television. Paoli then went on to work in a bevy of art-house and commercial Bengali films like Hochchheta ki, Chatrak, Kaalbela, Elar Char Adhyay among others.
• Her bold avatar in her debut film Hate Story received mixed response from the audience. But in her upcoming film she plays a lawyer, a far cry from her last film.
• When asked if it was a conscious decision to choose a de-glamourised role this time to avoid being stereotyped, Paoli said, "My role was very challenging as it was completely opposite to what I played in Hate Story but it was not a conscious attempt to do something different. I want to try everything.
• "As an actor, I don't want to be stereotyped. Thanks to Vikram, I am playing an interesting character again this time," she said.
• Paoli has signed her third film with Bhatt.
• "It is a thriller and that is all I can say right now. I am juggling work in Mumbai and Kolkata. I also have two Bengali films lined up for release- Ajana Batash by Anjan Dass, which is based on a novel by Joy Goswami and Promotion.