Greatly enjoyed this conversation of Churni Ganguly with Sreemoyee Piu, in the latter’s weekly podcast, Straight Up With Shree.
It's a nearly two-hour conversation, spanning the entire arc of Churni's life and work: from her growing up years in Kurseong with teacher parents and two sisters, then coming to Kolkata for high school (Pratt) and continuing to study here for college and university (JU), getting involved with theatre and also acting for television, the big Bombay break and how it came about, the career defining moment that was Chhoti Si Asha (which was shot in Chennai), returning to Kolkata at the peak of her career in Bombay to prioritize marriage, and balancing motherhood and work ever after.
Churni's career as both actor and director were covered, with Nirbashito (2014) given more time than Tarikh (2019). This episode aired in the lead up to her latest release, Aajo Ardhangini, a sequel to the 2023 hit, Ardhangini, directed by her husband Kaushik Ganguly.
These two films explore the complexity of a marital relationship (Churni and Kaushik Sen play the spouses) and its afterlife - post separation and divorce - when a new partner (Jaya Ahsan) enters the dynamic and is faced with a crisis. The crisis is different in the two films, but in both cases, the solution seems to lie only in the hands of the ex-wife, leading to an unusual bond between the two women. While the first film is memorable, the second is somewhat marred by melodrama. The real takeaway is the stellar performance by the leads, with Churni's character andf performance standing out in both.
These films, it may be noted, happen to continue a distinguished body of work, with Kaushik and Churni as creative partners (director-actor duo) in different mediums – from Ushnotar Jonno (2003, a telefilm) and Shunyo E Buke (2005) to Arekti Premer Golpo (2010, which marked Rituporno Ghosh's debut as an actor) and Drishtikone (2018).
In the podcast, while trying to pay attention to all these elements, Sreemoyee asked some tough (though nuanced) questions about career, marriage, being in a creative partnership with an equally talented individual, stereotyping and ageism in Tollywood, and filial responsibility (especially as an elder daughter). Each of them was answered with such grace and honesty by Churni!
The best thing about the whole episode was the way the many vulnerabilities of being a woman and an artist was brought to the fore in a spirit of healthy discussion and emotional/intellectual engagement.
I love listening to in-depth interviews of artists I admire, especially ones which cover the entire trajectory of the person. This was one such.
Highly recommended!