Exclusive! Indrani Haldar on Kuler Achaar: Waiting for a film release still feels like waiting for my examination results in school

Vikram Chatterjee and Madhumita Sarcar’s family drama Kuler Achaar is all set to hit the theatres on July 15. The film is also a big release for Indrani Haldar after Atanu Ghosh’s Mayurakshi in 2017. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, the veteran actress talked about her anxiety before the release, her television endeavour Sreemoyee which has ended recently, and her first tryst with OTT in Indranil Roychowdhury’s Chotolok. 

Indrani confesses that even after her decade-long career in acting, she feels nervous before the release date even today. “I have started having sleepless nights as the release date approaches. It is pretty much the same as the tension I feel before Thursdays when the TRP reports come out for our TV shows. I have been acting for 35 years and it still feels like the first film release. It will not leave me ever,” she says. Explaining her tension, she says, “I work very hard for my roles. I give my 100% to the character. Hence, people’s appreciation means everything to me. It is not just about delivering a blockbuster hit film. For me, it matters if my audience remembers my effort.”

In Mayurakshi, Indrani plays a significant character in the film. Remembering the film, she says, “Mayurakshi is essentially a father-son film in which I play an important role. However, the focus is on Soumitra Chatterjee and Prosenjit Chatterjee. But Kuler Achaar is a sasuri-bouma (mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law) film and it deals with my relationship with Mithi (Madhumita). I am really excited and looking forward to the release.” 

Kuler Achaar deals with the debate over changing one’s surname after marriage. While a lot of women keep their maiden name post-marriage, Indrani points out that the majority of Indian women don’t enjoy the choice. “We may know a lot of women around us who have kept their surname. But in India, the majority of women don’t enjoy that privilege of choice – even after being completely independent. Kuler Achaar is a very relatable story for all these people,” says the actor. 

Talking about her own experience, she says, “On my passport, I am Indrani Haldar Roy. However, most of the people know me as Indrani Haldar because I started acting and became known before getting married.”

Indrani’s popular TV show Sreemoyee ended in December last year after a successful run for two and a half years. Does she miss Sreemoyee, we asked. “I don't miss the show but I definitely miss the adulation and love I received for playing the character. I strongly believe there can never be a comeback of Sreemoyee in any further season. It is because the story that we showed is a complete one. Her life revolves around Rohit Sen (Tota Roy Chowdhury) and the fact that he is gone, Sreemoyee cannot have any other season,” explains Indrani.

On the other hand, the actress believes that the possibility of her another popular TV show, Goyenda Ginni, must come back. “Parama Mitra (her character) must come back with new cases. The talks are on. Now that I am busy with a few projects, we may start it again by the end of this year. Goyenda Ginni does not end the journey of Parama. She can start taking up new cases and I think it will be a great idea,” Indrani says. In Goyenda Ginni, the actress plays a regular housewife Parama who solves cases and gets into adventure with her family members.

Also read: Exclusive! Priyanka Sarkar in Indranil Roychowdhury’s new web series, Chotolok  

Meanwhile, Indrani is gearing up to step into the world of OTT with Indranil Roychowdhury’s Chotolok for Zee5. The actress says that she will play an important character, which is unlike any other characters she played so far. “The pandemic taught us to watch OTT extensively. I wanted to step into the medium for a long. I wanted to start with something in Hindi but nothing interesting came up. And this offer came from Zee5. It is a grey character with a lot of shades. I have never done anything like this before,” she explains. 

Presented by Srikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni and produced by SVF, Kuler Achaar will be released on July 15.