Meet Jaya Ahsan- Bangladeshi actress who is current sensation in India

Jaya Ahsan, who plays Rubina, one of the 11 heroines of Srijit Mukherji's Rajkahini, recounts her experience of shooting for the Partition drama.
I first met Srijit Mukherji in 2013. We were attending the Darpan Film Festival in Singapore. I was a fan of Srijit even before I knew him. His films were always amongst my favourites. We became good friends eventually . In Singapore, he told me about his forthcoming venture, Rajkahini, and wanted my opinion on the partition of Bengal. Needless to say , it was a tragedy . Not only was a country divided but millions of people lost their lives. We, as Bangladeshi Bengalis, are very sensitive and emotional about this subject. When I first heard the story of Rajkahini, I felt an immediate emotional connect and told him to pursue the idea.Srijit visited Bangladesh the following year. After being exposed to the country , the people and the places that his story revolved around, he rewrote it. I was offered a character in the film. Script reading and workshop sessions in Ritudi's home were not only eye-openers for me but also thoroughly enjoyable. But I was surprised to see Srijit on the sets. It was a different Srijit altogether, a man completely unknown to me. This was not a friend, but a dictator! Stubborn and bursting with energy . I guess, all great directors are ruthless! I remember my very first day of shooting -my first shot was an ok, but I ended up with a deep gash on my hand and was in a lot of pain. But that was just the beginning -of a journey of hardship, pain, trust and friendship. I realized, the character was there in me all along. And Srijit, with his excellent skills, was bringing it out flawlessly .

The next two months were a haze -11 women fighting against mighty political forces.It was a fight for survival, for an identity . What an emotional point it was for an actor like me, whose father was a fighter in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war! A historical document was taking birth, in which I was portraying a vital role. It was more than a film. It was in my blood. My time with Rajkahini is one of the most memorable of my career. The shoot took place in a remote place near the Jharkhand border. The chill of the December winter was killing. And we were at war! Eleven barefoot women, draped just in saris, working day and night. Physically , it was unbearable but as artistes we took it as a challenge. At one point of time, all of us started believing it was a real war. We trained in wielding laathis and guns, and other fighting techniques. We were even given psychological inputs about the horrors of Partition, transporting us back into that era. We felt like one family fighting against injustice and repression. Amidst all these, none of them allowed me to feel like a 'foreign' national ever.

It was a hard shoot, but nothing was ever out of place -from the art props to the food, from the costumes to the makeup -the production team was always on their toes. Finally , DoP Avikda (Mukherjee) and his camera team deserve a special mention. Avikda was incredible! And all this Srijit Mukherji made possible. Uncompromising and ruthless as he might be, he successfully extracted the best out of each of us.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/Srijit-has-extracted-the-best-of-me-in-Rajkahini-Jaya-Ahsan/articleshow/49193545.cms