Aindrita Ray, the Bengali beauty who charmed the Kannada industry with films like Meravanige , also went on to win accolades for her performance in Manasaare, where she was paired with dimpled actor Diganth, who she is now married to. Then came a few films and songs where she made guest appearances. The actor, known to speak her mind, was one of the judges at the Lakmé Fashion Week Model Auditions, which was held in Bengaluru at ITC Gardenia.
As she prepares for the event, with her make up and hair half done, she candidly chats on a few topics close to her heart...
Karnataka : Bengaluru : Multi lingustic actress Aindrita Ray pose for The HIndu-Metro Plus on 10th July 2019. Photo : V Sreenivasa Murthy
Why are you passionate about stray dogs?
Why not? We humans feel superior and believe only we have a right to live on this planet. We also tend to think that dogs lives are insignificant. I have grown up with these animals — they are full of love and excited to welcome you back home. You will not get this response from any other human. Sadly, dogs are voiceless and someone has to stand up and fight for them. They cannot be culled and killed mercilessly.
You gave up studying dentistry for films?
Yes. I got into modelling and gradually got busy with films. There came a time when I had to choose between being a dentist and an actor. And you know what I chose (grins widely).
Being a Bengali in the Kannada film industry...
Has been a joy. I was accepted with lots of love even though I am a non-Kannadiga. I fumbled a lot initially, but people here accepted me unconditionally. Maybe they found my mispronunciation of Kannada words cute (grins again).
Karnataka : Bengaluru : Multi lingustic actress Aindrita Ray pose for The HIndu-Metro Plus on 10th July 2019. Photo : V Sreenivasa Murthy
We never saw you in many films like Mansaare ?
I did not get such films. I feel the Kannada film industry is male dominated, which I found difficult. The few female centric films that were done here did not go well with the audience either. Things are different in Bollywood now. People are making female centric films and I hope this happens here too.
What are your views on fashion?
I think fashion matters a lot. It is not just about wearing brands but choosing what you wear and how you carry yourself. I am not very brand conscious nor do I buy leather products, but I try and carry myself in a presentable way, no matter where I go.
Are you acting in Bollywood films?
I just completed two Hindi films, which are yet to release. One is untitled with Arbaaz Khan and is a romantic thriller. The other is about a nautanki company, set in the 80s in a small village in Gujarat. I play the role of a girl called Rani, who acts as Sita on stage. I also have a couple of films in Kannada.
For a while you just did a song or character roles. Were you alright with the change?
It started as a favour to one filmmaker who is a friend. That was followed by one more and then another and soon it seemed to become the norm. It was more on a friendly basis, but became stereotyped as all my songs were doing really well. Secondly, I questioned why women were paid less in the Kannada film industry as compared to their male counterparts. That also, I think, played a role in me not getting too many offers later.
Acting after marriage is...
Good! I had a series of journalists asking if I was going to act after marriage which is rather regressive. If I do get an offer, they congratulate me with sympathy saying, ‘Thank God you got a role’. What do they mean? Why should marriage affect my career? We have great talents like Priyanka Upendra who balance work and home and yet this mindset has not changed.
