Raima Sen gets candid about Bollywood journey, nepotism debate
What's the story
Actor Raima Sen, known for projects like The Vaccine War and Manorama Six Feet Under, is gearing up for the release of Hansal Mehta's Family Business. The actor, who is celebrating 26 years of her debut in Godmother, is active both in the Bengali and Hindi industries. Speaking about her Bollywood journey, she told Hindustan Times, "It's always great to be back in the Hindi industry, but I must admit ab ki thoda time laga."
Career beginnings
Sen recalls her 1st meeting with Vinay Shukla
Sen fondly remembers her journey from Kolkata to Bollywood. "I still remember getting the offer when I was a 17-year-old girl living in Kolkata, and Vinay Shukla had come down," she recalled. "He was screen testing [for Godmother], he said, 'Do this film, [you] fit the bill.'" Despite her initial fears of acting alongside veterans like Shabana Azmi, she decided to give it a shot.
Family support
'My parents never asked the makers to cast us...'
Sen revealed that her parents, Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Varma, were supportive of her decision to join the film industry. "My parents never asked the makers to cast us as sisters in either industries." "In fact, they were like, 'You want to join movies, take this journey alone, please.'" "Also, they never told us what to do...and so as teenagers, whatever mistakes we made, our parents were, 'It's your mistake.' And that made us better."
Role selection
On being more responsible while choosing roles now
Sen's approach to choosing roles has evolved over the years. "When I was young, I was all over the place, choosing whatever came our way in Bollywood, but now I am more responsible," she explained. However, she admitted, "But I cannot be too choosy with roles here as there is too much competition in this industry compared to regional ones like the Bengali industry."
Industry insights
Sen on the nepotism debate in Bollywood
Sen also shared her thoughts on the ongoing debate about nepotism and favoritism in Bollywood. "I feel in Bollywood, however, favoritism and nepotism is a forever-burning topic, but the fact is only the fittest survives," she said. "Obviously, it can fetch you work as parents and grandparents built that legacy for us, and we will get our chances because of that, but the point is how best we use those chances and survive."