“I Think After Satyajit Ray, It’s Konkana Sen Sharma”

They represent two distinct generations and genres of filmmaking, yet they have more in common than immediately apparent.

Sharmila Tagore and Konkona Sen Sharma have both successfully married arthouse and mainstream impulses, and both – as Shoma perfectly put it – put a wedge in the door for creative, compelling cinema outside of easy labels.

In an hour-long conversation punctuated by personal anecdotes, memorable asides, and an astonishing compliment from Sharmila to her fellow-speaker – “I think after Satyajit Ray, it’s Konkana Sen Sharma” – we found ourselves in turn amused, engaged and riveted as the conversation flowed easily and the nuances of their craft emerged.

So, too, did a hefty dose of charm and candour, such as when Sharmila spoke of late husband Tiger Pataudi’s innate self-assurance. Asked whether he was ever anxious about her co-stars or insecure about her and other actors, Sharmila laughed and said “no, because he was always told her, “There are two hundred actors, but there’s only one cricket captain.” Konkona added to the candour when she admitted she did not resonate with a single character she’s ever played except Mithi, a young schizophrenic woman in 15 Park Avenue, and Shutu, the tremulous, suicidal protagonist in her directorial debut A Death in the Gunj.

Watch the riveting, full conversation above