The Iconic Screen Mom Of Ollywood

The Iconic Screen Mom Of Ollywood

What does a film need? An engaging plot, good lead actors, soulful music and superb direction, right? Well, an efficient support cast is as important for a film as anything else. Apart from creating a great impact on the audience, supporting actors, sometimes, turn into main highlight of a film. Ollywood has no dearth of such actors who have left an indelible mark on screen with their power-packed performances. Talk of supporting characters and Dolly ‘apa’ aka Namrata Das is someone Ollywood cannot do without. The veteran actor has spent 40 odd years in the industry and continues to impress cine lovers with her charisma and acting skills. ?

While she is mostly known for her roles as a mother or grandmother, she has also displayed her impeccable comic timing in films like ‘AkhiTrutiya’ and ‘Sindura Bindu’ back in the mid-70s. The songs from these two films – ‘Asa Kie Khaiba Ho Ama Raja Babu Ghara Khana’ and ‘Gulguli Gulguli Olei Bilei O My Pussy’ are popular to this day.

With more than 200 Odia films, three Bengali films and six Odia mega serials to her credit, the 58-year-old actor is also the recipient of a state award for her performance in the film ‘Lakhmi Pratima’. Currently, she stars as the grandmother in a successful daily soap ‘Tara Tarini’ on a popular Odia TV channel. She is also looking forward to entertain audiences in her much-talked about upcoming film, ‘Nayaka ra na Devdas’.

Happily unmarried, Namrata Das has a large family comprising seven brothers and sisters. These include two of her own siblings as well as three sisters and one brother from her stepmother. She shouldered the entire responsibility of her family after her father’s demise while managing to be a successful actor.As part of the ‘Legends of Ollywood’ series, MCL caught up with the actor for an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts:

Tell Us About Your Journey As An Actor.

I participated in a number of dramasduring my school days but never thought of becoming an actor. Dheera Biswal is the one who introduced me to Odia cinema, my debut movie being ‘Dharitri’ in 1973. He selected me for a small role after seeing my performance at Kala Bikash Kendra. I was only 13 years old then, hence they had to convince my father. I studied until the 10th grade but unfortunately missed my final exams due to my work commitments.

For Someone Who Made So Many Sacrifices For Family, Didn’t You Ever Think About Getting Married?

My elder sister is very close to me. I share everything with her and she sometimes tried persuading me to get married. However, I always denied.You see, I married so many times on screen, more than anyone else! And, I have so many daughters and sons. That is why I never thought of marriage. There is so much love for me in the hearts of my audiences that I never felt any need of love from anyone else.

How Do You Manage Portraying A Great Mother On Screen Every Time?

I completely forget myself while playing a character on screen. When I completely involve myself in a character, I don’t even feel the need to remember the dialogues. I have noticed it many times that whatever dialogues I think would be spoken by the character, already exist in the script! As far as real life is concerned, I have adopted my own niece as my daughter. She is happily married now and both my daughter and son-in-law work in TCS.

How do the Grandchildren In Your Family React When They See You As A Celebrity Grandmom?

My grandchildren are very happy with me. In fact, they force me to click photos with their friends, and attend their school functions. I feel so loved because of them.

How, Do You Think, Ollywood Has Changed Over The Years?

We have very advanced and improved technologies in film making now. I remember when I was shooting for films like Dharitri and Taapoi, the dialogues were recorded live when shooting, since there were no dubbing options. So, it was very tough for us to shoot during those times, because you had to focus on your dialogue delivery, expressions, body language and appearance all at the same time. Now the director sits in front of the monitor, and asks for retake when needed. But during those days, directors were very worried about retakes because they had to use extra footage for that. And they weren’t able to monitor the scene immediately either. So, technology-wise, a lot has changed for the better. But I am unhappy with the trend of remakes. I think we have very talented directors who can make films with unique stories and good content.

How Have The Actors Changed?

I feel actors were more involved in acting than appearance before. Yesteryear actresses like Aparajita or Mahasweta are extremely beautiful, but it’s their work which has made them stars. The current generation of actors needs to understand that if they are more glamour-conscious, people will not focus on or credit them for their acting skills.

Do You Feel There Is Anything Like Casting Couch In Our Industry?

I have been in this industry for more than 40 years now. I don’t know why, maybe because of the blessings of the Almighty, no one ever misbehaved or had any ill will towards me ever. I was showered with great respect always. Good and bad people exist in every field, so they mightbe existing in Ollywood too.

Which Character Of Yours Is Closest To Your Heart?

Although I like them all, my personal favourite is the role of grandmother I played in the Babushan starrer ‘To Akhi Re Mu’.

They Say The Show Must Go On And There Are Instances When Actors Have Had To Work Even In The Face Of Personal Tragedies. Have You Faced Any Such Situation?

My father died when I was shooting for ‘Rupa Gaon Ra Suna Kania’. Two days after his death, the producer and director of the film came to me and very gently told me that they had to pay Rs. 17,000 per day to Kalinga Studio. They left the decision to resume shooting on me. I felt bad for them but I was not in the right frame of mind to act. However, after my family people convinced me, I agreed and resumed work. That was an unforgettable moment. As per the rituals, when someone in your family dies, you should not even comb your hair.However, I had to do all of that and more!

What Kind Of Changes Occurred In Your Life After Becoming A Celebrity? Any Memorable Fan Moment You Would Like To Share?

When not an actor or, or as you say, celebrity, I was able to roam around Puri and pray at the Lord Jagannath Temple without any hassles. But, that is not possible anymore because of the large crowd that gathers around. As far as fan moment is concerned, once I was sitting with my elder sister at Puri sea beach and suddenly a woman rushed to me and hugged me tightly. She stared at me for a while and said, “Sorry, I thought you are an actor”. When she came to know it was indeed me, she became very emotional and kept showering a lot of love and appreciation on me. That was a special moment. I know I will keep on acting till the last breath of my life.

Any Tips For Aspiring Actors?

Be more conscious of your acting skills, not get-ups.