‘I have known the character of Kushum since childhood’

Jaya Ahsan’s first look as Kushum in ‘Putul Nacher Itikatha’. Photo: Collected from Instagram

Celebrated actress Jaya Ahsan has been ruling hearts in Bangladesh and Kolkata for years.

Besides winning the National Film Award in Bangladesh, she has bagged several prestigious awards in India.

 Currently, Jaya is shooting for her upcoming film, "Putul Nacher Itikatha", in India.

The film is an adaptation of eminent litterateur Manik Bandyopadhyay's novel of the same name.

Directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, the film stars Jaya in the role of Kushum, a 23-year-old mysterious woman, who is quirky and inconsistent by nature.

"I read the novel when I was in school, and I fell in love with it" shares the actress. "I have known the character of Kushum since childhood. It feels amazing to play her."

Since "Putul Nacher Itikatha" is a period film, from her get-up to understanding the psyche of her character, Jaya truly underwent a transformation.

"Adaptations of literary works are always challenging, yet exciting. They are not exactly like the books when presented on screen. The film follows the storyline of the book, but the screenplay is different," she says.

According to her, a good director can always bring out the best in artistes. "I am glad to be working with such a wonderful team," says the actress, who is fully committed to bringing the director's vision for Kushum to life.

The film also stars Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Abir Chatterjee.

50 percent of shooting for "Putul Nacher Itikatha" has been completed. "We have been shooting in a sound environment, at a quick pace," says Jaya. After this project, she will start shooting for "Kalantor-Bongobhongor Biplobi Jug", a film based on the partition of Bengal.