BENGALURU: I have really fond memories of Bengaluru. I have been coming here since I was a chid,” said Bengali actor Rituparna Sengupta, who was in town to attend the Bengali-Kannada Film Festival organised by Satyajit Ray Film Society Bangalore.
The actor, in fact, used to live in Bengaluru with her husband. “He had a startup. We lived in a big house in Koramangala. Most of my school friends are also settled here,” she said, adding that she never misses a chance to catch up with them whenever she is in the city.
Weather, of course, is one of her favourite elements about the place, and Rituparna said she gets excited whenever she has to come to the city for work.
“When I was in school, I used to visit a friend in Bengaluru. It was so different back then. The weather was cooler and we would go to Cubbon Park, Commercial Street, etc. I feel like coming back again and again,” she said, calling the city a “home away from home”.
Talking about her connection with South India, Rituparna said she has recently worked in a movie titled Bansuri, directed by Hari Viswanath, known for his Tamil movie Radiopetti.
Shot in Jalpaiguri and featuring Anurag Kashyap, Bansuri is about the bond between a mother and son. Rituparna is also shooting for a film called Beautiful Life, which is about an artist, with actor Tota Roy Chowdhury. Her recent movie, Athithi, is also faring well in theatres now.
She also witnessed an eager audience during the premiere of her movie Ahaa Re in the city on Sunday. While the downpour brought a touch of added charm, she was thrilled to see the theatre jam-packed with people enjoying the movie about two lovers hailing from India and Bangladesh. “The essence of the movie is food, and I think that is what attracts people,” she said, adding that she loves the food in Bengaluru, especially the biryani for its unique flavour, and Mangalorean food for its extra spicy kick.