‘People constantly used to say I was not like my grandmother’

It seems that the constant comparisons with her grandmother, the legendary screen icon, Suchitra Sen, are over for actor Raima Sen, who has, over time, finally emerged out of an illustrious family’s shadow. However, the actor feels that it comes with belonging to a film family, where women from the same household have been successful names in their own different ways.

“When I hadn’t even done Chokher Bali (2003), which was a turning point in my career, people would say ‘she’s not like her grandmother’. So, there definitely was immense pressure on me to perform well, and live up to my grandmother’s name,” shares Raima, who has been a part of films such as Parineeta (2005), Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007), and Teen Patti (2010).

However, once Chokher Bali released, Raima found the audience that started to appreciate her on-screen. “People started watching my films for me, and I carved a niche for myself. Now, there is no such comparison, but of course, a lot of people still say that I look like her, and wish me good luck,” Raima says, adding that this coterie of fans gives her a different high.

“Now, I have my own fans and audience who will come and watch films because I am there. It’s a nice mix, with middle-aged girls and young ladies, so I make sure I cater to them through the characters I pick,” says the 38-year-old actor, who will next be seen in the film Vodka Diaries, alongside Mandira Bedi and Kay Kay Menon.

Raima, who also ventured into production with the Bengali film Mi Amor, calls it a gradual evolution. “I’m not saying that every actor has to become a director or a producer. I believe it has to be an evolution of some sort, and one should be able to do something more with a given craft. As for direction, I am not sure, because there’s so much to do already,” says Raima.

Raima Sen is the daughter of actor Moon Moon Sen

Actor Suchitra Sen