In 2018, even before the OTT scene boomed in Bengal, Paoli made her debut in space with Kaali. The actress then took a break from the Bengali space and now is all set to make a gala comeback with two major projects – Kaberi on Hoichoi and Julie on Addatimes.  

Paoli’s Kaberi delves into a gruesome tale of domestic violence. Directed by Sauvik Kundu, the show also features Saurav Chakraborty. The show will stream on Hoichoi from October 8. Before the release, the actress talked to OTTplay about her comeback and Puja plans. 

This is practically your comeback on Bengali OTT after many years. You did shows like Bulbbul and Charlie Chopra. What took you so long? 

When I worked in Kaali, the Bengali OTT space was in a very nascent stage. Kaali is a bilingual show and most of my friends watched it in Hindi and other languages. It was a Zee5 show. It received positive reviews. With Kaberi and Julie, I am probably stepping into the local Bengali market. I was indeed waiting for the right content and budget.  

When I worked on Kaali, the Bengali platforms were yet to come up with consistently good shows. It has evolved since then. We still have a lot of challenges here. We have limited time to shoot and long hours of shooting schedules. But it is churning out good shows now and I liked Kaberi instantly. It is also my first association with Hoichoi.  

So, Kaberi is something you like? 

I have always wanted to do quality work. I take time to choose. The director of Kaberi is sensible. Given our resources, we need to experiment within our structured space. I like the way Sauvik laid out the format. My tuning with him and the DOP worked out well.

Moreover, Kaberi takes inspiration from gritty tales of women. If even one person draws inspiration from Kaberi, I will be glad. I will think my work is successful.   

What is your Pujo plan?  

My show will be dropped just before Puja. There will be some promotion schedule. Besides, I never planned for Puja. Perhaps I’ll just be in Kolkata and spend my Puja with Ma and Baba.  

Moreover, we don’t know how the Puja will pan out. There are protests taking place almost every day. Let alone me, my parents also have not seen anything like this before. After the heinous crime at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, everyone around us seems to have their voice. It is perhaps the time to make your voice heard.  

What is your take on the ongoing unrest in the city?  

I was shooting for a Bangladeshi film in June. In Puran Dhaka, while shooting, I witnessed the students protesting their government. I had no idea that unrest could go on for so long and culminate into something bigger. Then as soon as we got back to Kolkata, the horrid RG Kar incident took place. Whatever has been happening just proves one thing: We reached the tipping point. It seems we have waited enough. We should not wait and accept the atrocities any longer.  

This Puja, I am feeling empty from inside. And I could see that I was not the only one. Everyone seems affected. I don’t want to make any statement. I would rather speak up through my art form. Durga Puja is our biggest festival. A festival banks on the spontaneous spirit of the participants.  

Read Also: Salman Khan's Chulbul Pandey to meet Ajay Devgn's Bajirao Singham in Rohit Shetty's Singham Again; details inside

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON !