Kolkata: Well-known television actress Payel De says that she gave her nod to the character of Ganga in Ardhangini because she wanted to grow as an actor. The Star Jalsha serial, which stars Rahul Banerjee and Nabanita Das as male and female lead respectively, features Payel as Ganga who is responsible for bringing trouble in the lives of the lead jodi.
In her more than a decade long career, Payel has portrayed positive characters. She was seen in dailies like Durga, Behula and Bodhu Kon Alo Laaglo Chokhe to name a few. And it was Tobu Mone Rekho wherein she was seen in a completely different avatar for the first time. Breaking her image, here she played a woman with psychological disorder. After Tobu Mone Rekho, she is again playing a grey shaded role in her ongoing serial.
So, is it a conscious decision to play negative roles now?
She said to loan trading, “It was a very conscious decision of mine to play the role of Ganga because when the channel people approached me I thought it’s going to be a very interesting role for me. You might just compare this role with Supriya (her role in Tobu Mone Rekho) but I beg to differ because Supriya was mentally disturbed. She was not well and she was not thinking from her mind. She was not doing things consciously. But out here whatever Ganga is doing, she is doing it consciously. Okay, let me tell you a bit about Ganga as well. Ganga is deeply and madly in love with Umapati (Rahul). They were childhood friends and everybody in their house thought that when they will grow up they will marry each other but unfortunately that didn’t happen and accidently Umapati got married to Ishwari (Nabanita) and then the story begins that how Ganga takes the entire situation and reacts to it and how she changes from a very sweet innocent girl to ‘maybe’ somebody else who is very, very dangerous in Umapati and Ishwari’s lives, and that’s how the thing rolls on. There is a difference between the two characters.”
She continued, “So, I thought that Ganga would be a very challenging role for me because you have seen my career graph I have always played positive character, a protagonist so, now I wanted to do something else in my life. I wanted to experiment, I wanted to grow more as an actor and I thought Ganga is yet another chance for me to prove that yes I am or I could be a versatile actor because as an actor you should always challenge yourself, experiment with yourself.”
Another highlight for the pretty lady is that for the first time she is working with Acropolis.
She quipped, “Previously I used to work with Shree Venkatesh Films and after eight longs years I am working with a different company which is the Acropolis. This is the first time that I am working with this company.”
Praising her Ardhangini co-actors, Payel said, “People around me are very good. I have co-stars with whom I had wanted to work with like Tulikadi. I worked with her in my initial days…12 years back…quite a long time. I am enjoying working with her. I am working with Rahulda for the first time. Nabanita, who is playing Ishwari, is a very nice girl to work with. I am working with Bhashkarda, one of the most senior actors. He being a senior actor never makes us feel that you know I am senior actor. He is a very cool person, very good at heart. Same with Anuradhadi… there is always a smile on her face even if it is late night; she is very supportive.”
“I am enjoying my work and I hope that people accept me as they have accepted other works of mine. I hope they accept Ganga and appreciate my work and love me the way they have been loving me,” she added with a smile.
Best wishes, Payel!