‘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 finally over for Raima Sen.The actor has, over time, finally emerged out of her 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 was released, Raima found an 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 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.