Tillotama Shome needs no recommendation. Her unadorned brilliance shines in almost every role she plays , and she is far from done.
Tillotama’s journey as an actor par excellence began by chance. “I saw a one-man show performed by Piyush Mishra and was fascinated by the actors craft and ability to empathise so deeply. This became the starting point of a long journey. I only know that I have waited a long time to have work. I suppose the twenty year wait has made every opportunity precious beyond it just being a pay cheque.My closest family and friends were sure to share their honest opinion on my work. I am glad they exist and will help keep the cataract of complacence at bay.”
At this stage of her career Tillotama searches for good scripts. “Something that allows me to explore something I have not done , which is so rare. Also A good director : I have been lucky to have worked with so many. A producer that enables the director to fulfil his vision and not cut corners that disfigure the very spirit of the film. And most of these things become very clear from the way a project is mounted. This triangle is the frame within which actors and the crew can then play freely.I am very lucky, am I not, to have worked with so many wonderful storytellers. I am only 24 years old as a film actor. So Mira Nair in Monsoon Wedding was the most enjoyable first step as a toddler. Anup Singh in Qissa was like the balm to my teenage angst. Konkona Sen Sharma in Lust Stories the romance of adulthood.
She would love to do the massy masala movie. “I would love to be in a song and dance. But would need tremendous training. But it would be sensational, to do that which you think is impossible. I would love to play a scientist who regrets the fruits of her labour. An environmentalist who wakes up every day to know that nothing she does is enough. So many more….I just hope their lives are told with humour, because it’s not funny, is it?! But we need a good laugh to go on.
And yes Tillotama does think about directing a film. “I have these masochistic thoughts sometimes. But it is a thought that terrifies me as much as it excites me. I would like to grow towards it. Let’s see what unfurls.”
Balancing out her duties as a home maker and an actor is not easy. “I need a strong back. So making time for things that physically and spiritually strengthen me is the key. The moment I cut corners here, everything seems out of whack and overwhelming. The consequences of one’s action and inaction are just so immediate and intense as you grow older. But so far, prioritising my family has made my work life more rewarding, in the long run.”