The off-beat Bengal queen

The beauty of her aura is indistinctive, her smile, as magical as if she were the goddess of beauty, who melts your heart instantly. Paoli Dam is not just a diva for her looks, she is a powerhouse of acting who won the hearts of millions with her portrayal of some of the most unconventional roles. Some of her remarkable roles include Madhobilata in "Kaalbela" (2009), Komli in "Moner Manush" (2010), Preiti in "Kagojer Bou" (2011), Ela in "Elar Char Adhyay" (2012), Meghla in "Maati" (2018), and Binodini in "Bulbbul" (2020).

The actress recently came to Bangladesh for the shooting of Fakhrul Arefeen Khan's Neel "Jochhona". In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, she cherished the memories of her first visit to Bangladesh, her career, and more.

Returning to Bangladesh after four years still refreshes the memories of Paoli Dam's first visit. "It was in 2010, during the shoots of Gautam Ghosh's 'Moner Manush', the Indo-Bangla joint venture," shared the actress, whose origin is Faridpur. "I haven't had the opportunity to visit Faridpur till now," she sighed.

"My mother hails from Jashore, and I haven't visited the place either. However, when we hold the premiere of 'Neel Jochhona', I wish to bring my father with me, and we will visit Faridpur."

While we were speaking, sitting in the lobby of the five-star hotel where she was staying, a Japanese guy interrupted us and asked for permission to take a selfie with Paoli. Apparently, he had inquired about Paoli from someone nearby at the hotel after being mesmerised by her beauty and then googled her. While confessing this, he said, "You have such a beautiful smile." The guy bid us farewell, saying "Dhonnobaad" in Bangla.

As we got back to our conversation, Paoli expressed her excitement about working in "Neel Jochhona", an adaptation of Mostak Ahmed's parapsychology novel "Neel Jochonar Jibon". "'Interstellar' and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' are two of my favourite films. Plots on the parapsychological genre have rarely been made in Bangla content. I have read the book from which the story has been adapted and it is fantastic. I am also thrilled that we will shoot on a green screen, and VFX is one of my favourite technologies."

This project marks the second Bangladeshi film for Paoli, she made her debut in Dhallywood with Hashibur Reza Kallol's "Swatta" (2017), starring opposite Shakib Khan.

She was wearing a maroon pure cotton saree with a black backless blouse. Her eyes were drawn with dark kohl, complemented by the tiny bindi on her forehead, and a pair of grey jhumkas—her classy look made it seem as if she had just stepped out of a romantic classical novel. "I brought all silk sarees, but the weather is very humid, and luckily one of my co-actors, Sushama Sarker, gave me this beautiful cotton one, which I am wearing so comfortably."

In recent years, Paoli has been selective about her roles, and many also assumed that after she stepped into Bollywood, her appearance in Bengali films became sporadic. "It is not like that; however, I have been too selective in the past few years, and when I reflected on it, I realised the reasons. Perhaps, I am being too picky, or we are not producing enough quality content?" This took her to the conclusion that the Bangla industry needs more good writers. "Before the actor's input, it is important that writers and directors can create such characters." She explained that her brief for the role of Binodini in "Bubbul" was so good, that she could pull off the character so well. It will be considered as one of her landmark performances in her career. "At the same time, I cannot be a part of any mediocre regressive subject, especially when it comes to women, and I always want to be associated with subjects that are progressive and speak about human empowerment."

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She feels that at this point, both Bengals should collaborate more often and the exchange of writers and directors should have equal participation as much as actors. "For instance, Humayun Ahmed is very popular in Kolkata, and we have seen his works, and read his books. However, we don't see any of his stories being adapted to visuals. Exchange of such collaborations is highly required."

Among the roles she portrayed on the screen, how many of them have stayed with Paoli for long or to date? "Every great character has empowered me as a human being. For instance, Madhobilota, an epitome of love, Ela, the role of Keya Chakraborty, Komli, Binodini, Suchitra Sen, and Sreela, and there are some more– such roles have depth, and they have helped me understand different perspectives of life."

Paoli has a visible resemblance with legendary actress Suchitra Sen, and she has also played her role in the television series "Mahanayak". "The resemblance is uncanny! Although I didn't feel that much in the beginning. When I played her role, it felt surreal."

After the heartfelt conversation, Paoli bid farewell and made a promise to return soon. "The next time I return, I really want to visit both Jashore and Faridpur."