Priyanka Bose: Want to do more business in India as women characters not linear anymore

Actor Priyanka Bose is on a mission to shift her trajectory from niche cinema to more popular projects. And the changing narrative of women onscreen is driving her decision.

“Today, people are coming forth and talking about different kinds of relationships, and arrangements… It is not about the male or female role that one is playing but about the bigger picture,” says Bose, who found wide acclaim with Oscar-nominated film, Lion.

The stories, as she asserts, are not driven by the hero or heroine, and are not even dominated by the age factor. “There are lots of women of different age groups who have complete authority and agency. These are women who bring their own in this world, and where hierarchy is not set with yeh hero hai, yeh heroine hai, aur tum apna dekhlo,” she tells us over a Zoom call.

Now, the actor, who embarked on her Bollywood journey with Johnny Gaddaar in 2007, feels there are other characters, who support the entire story, which has been a great change for all.

“And OTT is also responsible for that. Even, Indian OTT is challenging the norms. I have seen a couple of things and they blew me over. I really want to do more business in India for primarily this reason… Because women characters are changing. Women characters of all age groups are so dynamic. We are not linear people at all, I think men are simpler now,” says the actor, who was last seen in web series, The Wheel of Time.

In the past, Bose has featured in projects such as Love Sex aur Dhokha, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Gulaab Gang, Parchhayee, and Sadak 2. Now, she harbours a desire to be more active professionally in India.

“Now, the thing about me working less in India would change, hopefully. The Wheel of Time is the first time that I am doing something popular. As soon as people see that I’m making such choices, I think the other things will also change…I’m very positive about it,” she says.

Initially, her trajectory was more to do with niche cinema, and that is changing because of a shift in her mindset. “I feel, in popular TV, I can be heard for many things,” asserts the 39-year-old.

Also, she feels she is going through an interesting phase of her career. That’s because she is evolving as a person, and a mother, which is having a ripple effect on her career.

“Me along with my partner are educating ourselves as we are raising a girl. We want to understand how people want to represent themselves as individuals. Our old conditioning is breaking away. These things have definitely influenced me personally and mentally,” says the actor, who juggles between countries for her projects.

When it comes to her work, she is busy working on the second season of The Wheel of Time in which she is seen as Alanna Mosvani. “I was pleasantly surprised with the response I got for my role. I didn’t really expect this kind of expression from the fans, especially from India.. Now, I am looking forward to how the story moves forward,” she signs off.