New Delhi: Anasuya Sengupta, has created history by becoming the first Indian actor to win the Best Actor trophy at Cannes 2024, never wanted to be an actor in the first place. Sengupta holds a degree in English literature from Jadavpur University, is from Kolkata. Sengupta wanted to work through journalism but life had some other plans.
Anasuya Sengupta won the Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her performance in 'The Shameless'. Written and directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, it follows Renuka, played by Anasuya, who runs away from a Delhi brotherl after killing a police officer. The film also stars Omara Shetty, the love interst of Renuka.
Anasuya worked in theatre for some time before shifting to Mumbai in 2013 where she began working as a production designer. In an interview with My Kolkata, Anasuya opened up about her journey as an actor and a struggling artist in Mumbai.
Anasuya Sengupta worked as a production designer in Mumbai
As a production designer in Mumbai, the projects I hold the closest to my heart include Sanjeev Sharma’s Saat Uchakkey (2016), starring the likes of Manoj Bajpayee and Anupam Kher, and Srijit Mukherji’s Forget Me Not, starring Ali Fazal as part of the Netflix anthalogy Ray (2021).”
Anasuya also worked on the Netflix series 'Masaba Masaba'.
Anasuya felt quite lost and claustrophobic in the city. Talking about the same, Anasuya told My Kolkata, "All through my years in Mumbai, although connected to the world of art in some form or the other, a part of me felt lost, claustrophobic, almost devoid of free expression."
This also led her to shift to Goa with the support of her father. "I was unaware of how financially sustainable the decision was or where my career curve would meander. However, amidst the chaos, it was my father who held my hand and asked, ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’ and that sealed the deal.”
How Anasuya was cast in The Shameless
Talking about 'The Shameless' and how she was cast in the role, Anasuya told the same publication, "In June 2020 Konstantin wrote to me saying he was interested in seeing me test for a principal character in his upcoming feature, The Shamelss. My first response… why?”
“When Anasuya sent across her audition tape, it was a yes at first shot. I’m now on the lookout for Anasuya’s Bulgarian twin to cast in my next project,” Bojanov told My Kolkata.
About The Shameless
'The Shameless' stars Anasuya Sengupta and Omara Shetty. The film is a noir thriller set against the backdrop of the devdasi system. The film was shot in Nepal for two months and a night in Mumbai, as per Anasuya's Instagram post.
Anasuya dedicated the award to the queer community and other marginalised communities all around the world, reported Variety. She said, "You don’t have to be queer to fight for equality, you don’t have be colonised to know the colonising is pathetic – we just need to be very, very decent human beings.”