In the film Beautiful Life, Tota Roy Choudhury and Rituparna Sengupta play painters, who share a passionate bond. Rahul (Tota) is also passionate about his art but has dedicated his life to caring for his wife Jhumki (Sayantani Sengupta) who suffers from severe cerebral atrophy. A t2 chat with Rituparna and Tota....

Rituparna

Why did you decide to be a part of Beautiful Life?

I decided to be a part of Beautiful Life because there’s an intimate connection. My brother Pradipta Sengupta was into art and the director R.D. Nath, who is also a painter and sculptor, is my brother’s friend. My brother told me about a subject that his friend had curated. It is a snapshot of his life that he would like to reflect upon through a film. That’s the genesis of Beautiful Life. It depicts a painter’s life and shows how he goes through huge highs and lows.

Tell us about your character...

I play Barnali, and she has this huge regard for Tota’s character. She makes a lot of difference in his life. Barnali has a very progressive mind. She is independent in her own way and does a lot of things for the liberation of a woman’s mind, body and soul. She is upright and stands for her causes. She has a beautiful sense of value. She is also the painter’s muse, and the painter has a very complicated personal life. There is a beautiful combination of science and art in this film. Paran Bandyopadhyay plays a scientist, my father, and it is also about how he gets involved in the arts, and how art has influenced our lives in many ways.

Rituparna

How was your shooting experience?

Paranda, Tota and I shared a great chemistry. The roles are etched out so well. Though R.D. Nath is a new director, he has written it so well. He has made the film look so modern and beautiful. Of course, my brother’s contribution is immense. He is the executive producer of this film. So I was extra sensitive about participating in it. People will feel the depth of the relationship, the painter’s agony and all the goodness and ugliness.

What was it like acting with Tota?

Tota has always been my favourite. We almost started our careers together. He is fantastic in this film and he looks very different in this film. We share a terrific chemistry. With his sincerity, dedication and commitment towards his craft, he is one actor whom I appreciate a lot. It is a breeze to work with him.

What does a beautiful life mean to you?

Life is always beautiful for me. We are blessed with a life where we can see and do so much. We can have things which we never imagined, like forming relationships. I look forward to living life every day.

How is the feedback to the film?

The film is getting a great response. The ratings are quite high. People are loving the film.

Tota

Why did you decide to say ‘yes’ to Beautiful Life?

Primarily I have done this film for Rituparna, who’s been a friend for a long time.

What is Beautiful Life all about?

It is about the realisation that life is as beautiful as an individual makes it. We have seen that beyond a point, wealth has no correlation with happiness. There is an increasing dissatisfaction in the consumerist societies of the West and many of them are embracing a minimalist lifestyle. Bewilderingly, we in India are now in a full-on consumerist mode and it is no surprise that we have become unhappier than we were even two decades ago. This hedonism has pulled us away from spirituality and pushed us towards being dissatisfied with life. Our film is a small attempt to make people realise that.

Are you interested in paintings?

Tota

Not as much as I would like to be. However, during my trip to London, I took a tour of Buckingham Palace and was mesmerised by the paintings at the Royal Gallery, especially by the landscapes of Paul Rubens and Claude Lorrain.

What are the high points of Beautiful Life?

The high points are the dynamics of relationships between the characters and the message that life is truly beautiful regardless of the fact that the world is moving towards a state of perpetual cruelty and ugliness. It is still beautiful because a destitute kid still smiles and plays even in the midst of extreme poverty or total destruction.

Rituparna is a long-time friend to you. How would you describe your friendship with her?

She always goes out of her way to help people. In the last 25 years, I have never heard her utter a cuss word at anyone. And she never berates anyone in public even though many a time people totally deserve it. She is a highly successful actress but above all, she is a wonderful human being.