I have always been underestimated as an actor: Koushani

Tollywood actress Koushani Mukherjee feels that for a long time, many directors couldn’t look past her glamorous image. But with projects like ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Bohurupi’ and now Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Killbill Society’, the narrative has shifted. She’s finally being noticed for her acting chops. In fact, her performance in ‘Killbill Society’ stands out as one of the film’s strongest pillars. From facing the frustration of not getting meaty roles to now basking in the praise, Koushani opens up to ‘Millennium Post’ about her journey, the recognition she’s enjoying and her thoughts on marriage. Excerpts from a chat:

Did working in Raj Chakraborty’s web series ‘Abar Proloy’ in 2023 change the direction of your career?

2023 was the turning point of my life starting with ‘Abar Proloy’ followed by ‘Bohurupi’ and then ‘Killbill Society’. I believe the kind of work you choose for yourself says a lot about you. I strongly feel that without ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Bohurupi’ wouldn’t have happened. And without ‘Bohurupi’, ‘Killbill Society’ wouldn’t have come my way. I’ve been in the industry for 10 years and my question has always been why didn’t anyone try me in different kinds of content all these years? I asked the same thing to Srijit da when he decided to cast me in ‘Killbill Society’.

What was Srijit Mukherji’s response?

He said two things. First, I never really expressed an interest in doing parallel cinema because I was constantly doing commercial films. Second, if I had approached him earlier, it might have planted the idea in his head that I wanted to do something beyond the mainstream. So, yes, I think it was partly my fault and partly the lack of opportunity, which, to be honest, is a common issue in Tollywood. There’s a favourite casting palette here just like Sanjay Leela Bhansali has his set of favourites. We also follow a certain casting palette in Tollywood.

Coming back to ‘Killbill Society’, in ‘Hemlock Society’ (2012), Koel Mallick played Meghna. In this sequel, you play Poorna. How does she fit in?

Poorna is a woman of substance. Honestly, you might see a bit of me in her. Her journey, her flaws, her achievements… They’re all her own. She’s financially independent, has her own home and is quite settled in life. But Poorna and Meghna are not the same. Their crises may seem similar, but the way they handle them is very different. I feel a sense of responsibility for this film. It’s resting on my shoulders and I have given everything to this film.

So, was Srijit Mukherji tough on you during the shoot?

I’d heard that Srijit Mukherji is quite the hard taskmaster. So, I told him if I make any mistakes, just pull me aside and let me know quietly. But I had prepared well for my character Poorna and I’m really glad that the director and the crew appreciated my work.

Is there a mindset that mainstream actresses aren’t interested in meaningful cinema?

Yes, there’s definitely a mindset. People thought I could only dance or that looking glamorous is my only strength. But there’s so much more to me. Look at Subhashree. ‘Parineeta’ was her turning point. Where was she before that? And even now, not everyone is offering Nusrat (Jahan) or Srabanti roles in different genres. How long did it take for Srabanti to land a film like ‘Devi Chaudhurani’?

So, starting with a hardcore masala movie gets you bracketed in a certain way?

Exactly. I’m a big example of that. I’ve always been underestimated as an actor. They kept saying I can only do glam roles. But eventually, I made a conscious decision with Raj da (Raj Chakraborty) guiding me that I had to be patient. He told me ‘Parineeta’ didn’t happen overnight for Subhashree either. She let go of a lot of films during that phase.

Would you like to maintain a balance between content-driven films and masala movies now?

(Cuts in) Yes, but only if the mainstream masala film has a solid subject and a strong character for me. If not, I won’t do it. I think I’ve moved past the phase of doing films just for two good songs. I’m also done with just showing up on set to look glamorous. Now I’m more focused on how much I’ve grown as an actor and how far I can go in terms of performance and credibility.

When offers weren’t coming your way, despite knowing you were capable of doing justice to them, did you feel frustrated?

Of course. I’m an emotional person. There were times I cried.

Did you ever doubt yourself?

No. I just felt bad for myself because I knew I was more than just a pretty face. People often say I’m naturally beautiful and I know it. I’m confident about how I look. But more than that, I wanted people to recognise me as a good actor. But I was lucky in one way. I didn’t have to worry about financial responsibilities at home. My dad managed that well. So, my frustration was more internal. I wonder why they aren’t casting me. Why don’t they even consider me? I’d watch a film or a performance and think I could have done that. It was always about missed opportunities. But now, I feel the work I’m doing is slowly leading to the kind of scripts I’ve always wanted.

After ‘Bohurupi’, are you doing ‘Raktabeej 2’ with Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay?

Yes and it’s another character that will surprise people. ‘Bohurupi’ was a multi-starrer, but people really noticed Jhimli - my character. It’s a milestone film. It broke box office records.

There’s been a lot of buzz around the issue of manipulated box office numbers in both Bollywood and Tollywood.

True. But ‘Bohurupi’ didn’t need any made-up numbers. People flocked to the theatres and we all know that. Sometimes people inflate their collections. Like when we did ‘Daal Baati Churma’, it didn’t perform financially. We spent a lot on the film and couldn’t recover right away. But later, when we sold it to a channel, we managed to balance things out. So, now we’re taking time before starting our next production, probably by the end of this year.

Many Tollywood actresses are now working in Mumbai and on national OTT platforms. Do you see yourself going that way too?

Of course. I believe I can play a character who speaks fluent Hindi or English. I constantly work on myself. So yes, I definitely want to explore that space if I get the chance.

Of love, marriage & more

During your low phases, how did your boyfriend-actor Bonny Sengupta support you?

We balance each other out. Bonny isn’t very expressive - I am. He’s more reserved. But as a partner, I always manifest his comeback, too. His reinvention is very important right now and I truly believe 2025 will be a great year for him.

And what about marriage?

That’s there too but for now, both of us want to focus on building our careers with meaningful work. With the kind of content being made these days, I want to give my full attention to acting and marriage will happen.