Mithila elaborates on dynamic first look of 'Maya'

Renowned actor and social activist Rafiath Rashid Mithila is set to make her debut in the Indian film industry with the film, 'Maya'. Directed by eminent Indian filmmaker Raajorshee De, the first look of the film was released today.

The film will feature Mithila in the role of the alter ego of Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare's popular tragedy "Macbeth", in the adaptation. The role, Maya, is said to be a combination of the play's Wayward sisters and Lady Macbeth. The film presents a feminist spin in the popular tragedy, focusing on Lady Macbeth's perspective this time.

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"I was involved with the film from the beginning," says Mithila. "The director saw my work beforehand and then approached me last year about the role."

"Maya is a leader of a minority group and in her life, faces multiple struggle and oppression," shares Mithila. "This was a very powerful role; had a dark aspect to it with multiple unimaginable layers and shades to the character."

Mithila will be seen portraying the role Maya in three different age dimensions- one as an adolescent girl aged 17-18, one as a woman in her early 30s, and another as a woman in her early 50s.

According to Mithila, preparing for the role of a woman in her 50s was one of the most challenging aspects of the film. "I had to figure out what kind of look, getup, or body language goes well with the character; what type of voiceover should I be doing or how to convey the dialogues were challenging to figure out," shares Mithila.

"I used to transform myself completely into my role in the set, even before my shoot; I experimented with little characteristics by myself to make the character more realistic," she adds. "During some of the scenes, I spontaneously added some specific attributes to my character and it aligned perfectly with the role and the age I was playing."

"The proudest moment on set was when after a critical scene  scene, the director's team and the DOP applauded me for my performance. They told me that I delivered exactly the way they expected me to," says Mithila.

When asked about what she liked most about her character, Mithila shares, "the character was a determined one, a person who doesn't compromise when it comes to achieving her goals. She can easily influence others around her and that is Maya's strongest attribute."

According to Mithila, the adaptation is not the perfect retelling of the tragedy, rather a refreshing take on Lady Macbeth's perspective. The ones who are not familiar with the popular tragedy might find the film an empowering tale of a feminist leader.

Even though it is Mithila's debut into the film world of West Bengal, she had a comfortable shooting experience. "Though I never worked with any of them before and everything was completely new to me, I felt at home with them," says Mithila.

"I was impressed by the efficiency of the whole team; starting from the director to every other crew member, everyone was highly dedicated, prepared, and efficient," shares Mithila. "Since we were on a tight schedule, everyone committed fully to the time restrictions making the shoot comfortable and effortless."

Mithila speaks greatly of the director and other crew members, "The director is a highly disciplined person; he was also amicable and kind-hearted. Raajorshee De guided me in the right direction and inspired me a lot throughout the shooting," adds Mithila. "The six assistant directors and the director of photography Indranath Marick, are all extremely talented and did an absolute stellar job."

"Kamaleshwar Mukherjee and my other fellow actors are all big names in the industry, yet the positive vibe they radiated throughout the shoot was a profound experience for me," expresses Mithila. "Sudipta Chakraborty and all the other co-actors were extremely helpful and friendly."

"As a debut film in the Indian film industry, this was exactly what I was looking for," says Mithila. "It had everything I wanted, a female-centric film with multiple layers to the character. It was an amazing learning experience."

The shooting of the film started on July 12 at a Rajbari in Bali, Howrah, and later continued in Kolkata. After a tight-pack schedule of seventeen days, the shooting wrapped up on July 28. The release date is yet to be announced.