Dhaka Tribune’s Ayanangsha Maitra caught up with the Bengali actress, now a mother of two children and known for her Hindi and Tamil films.
Your fans from Bangladesh greet and write to you frequently. Have you ever worked in Bangladesh? What do you like most in Bangladesh?
Debina Bonnerjee: Well, I have done only ads for Bangladesh, namely Coca-Cola, Berger Paints, and Parachute. In Bangladesh, I know the language is Bengali. There are a lot of fans in Bangladesh who keep writing to me.
One song which is very close to my heart is Runa Laila’s “Dum a dum mast kalandar”. I love the special hilsa fish and I would love to go to Bangladesh someday.
How has the Tamil film industry shaped your life?
Debina Bonnerjee: It has played a huge role indeed. Any work that you do in the entertainment industry leads to the other and for me, it has played a crucial role in giving me opportunities. This industry gave me an opportunity when others hadn’t yet and hence, I will always be grateful. The chain of events started post that and hence there will always be a lot of gratitude.
Actor turned politician Vijayakanth, who was known as Captain, was your first Tamil hero in the film “Perarasu”. His demise has impacted your life and career tremendously.
Please share some of your memories with the Captain during shooting and beyond.
Debina Bonnerjee: There are so many. During shots, we used to just observe the way he used to prepare and go about things. As someone relatively new and inexperienced, it was always a learning curve to simply observe. He too would always carry a smile on his face and was very approachable, something many big stars unfortunately aren't or can't be. The team used to have meals together and talk about their respective cultures. I have only happy and positive memories with Captain and I will truly miss him. May God bless his soul and may his family be blessed.
How was your working experience with Captain (Vijayakanth)?
Debina Bonnerjee: It was a terrific experience working with him. Like the name given to him suggests, he indeed was the captain of our set too. He was a leader and used to always ensure that not just himself, but everyone around him was also taken care of properly. He was a legend and a gem to work with. He was always supportive and never let his massive star power overshadow others because of his humble behaviour. The industry has truly lost a gem in the real sense of the term is what I can say.
