Actress Rituparna Sengupta has opened up on how the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has helped her rediscover herself.

Talking about the same, Rituparna told IANS: “It has been a mixed experience for me. There are a few good things such as I could spend a lot more time with my family, especially children, and dedicate more time to my writing.”

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“The pandemic gave me a chance to rediscover myself. It has made us invest a lot more into our relationships, parents, children and emotions. We were moving a bit too fast before this, almost like a cyclone. Life had become too mechanical,” the actress explained.

“The best part for me was helping my daughter with studies for her exams, shooting dance videos together and teaching her painting. I also did stuff like cycling and driving and contributed to a Covid kitchen for people and vaccination for special children,” she informed.

Quizzed what is the life lesson she has learnt from the pandemic, the actress said: “That we can be satisfied with very small things in life, something which we probably had forgotten. Our needs are very basic but we were forgetting that. Also, we have destroyed nature a lot, which has provided us with a home. It is our responsibility to preserve it. I hope we remember these lessons even after this pandemic is over.”

The National Award-winning actress, mostly known for her contribution to Bangla cinema, also opened up on how the film industry and theatre business has been affected amid the pandemic.

“With theatres being closed, some films suffered after a few days of release, some are still waiting to be released. The theatre owners and workers suffered a lot. The cinema industry has suffered, especially those who get daily wages. Overall it is a very sad situation and we are victims of this situation. I have tried my best to stand by people as much as I could. I’m hopeful that this too shall pass,” she said.

With theatres being shut, a lot of films, even big banner ones have released on OTT platforms in recent times. Being an actor, would it make a difference to Rituparna if her film is released on OTT instead of theatres?

“Theatre has a different charm. I’m a product of commercial cinema. I started at a time when OTT platforms did not even exist. We got our popularity from the celluloid. I have immense respect for it. I would always want films to release in theatres. At the same time I want alternative platforms to also flourish,” the actress replied.

Rituparna recently shot in Mumbai for Veena Bakshi’s directorial film ‘Ittar’ alongside Deepak Tijori and Kabir Lal’s ‘Antardrishti’, which is a remake of the Spanish thriller ‘Julia’s Eyes’.

How different is the experience of shooting in Mumbai from Kolkata?

“The atmosphere is different. I feel a little more at home in Kolkata. Mumbai is very good production-wise. Also, the work is done on a bigger scale due to a higher budget. Work ethic and style vary with different producers and directors,” said Rituparna.

Talking about herself, the actress added: “I’m a very flexible actress and adjust myself to different styles of work because I’m mostly engrossed into the character I’m playing. To me, the end product matters the most.”

On the work front, Rituparna currently features as the host of the television show ‘Rishta’ on Colors TV Asia Pacific.