"If I Demand The Things I Deserve, Then Yes, I Am A Tantrum Queen"
At 20, Tina Dutta has attained the unthinkable. Already one of the most popular actresses of television, success has embraced the young girl rather early in life. Perky, mischievous and extremely talkative, in person she's everything you expect a girl her age to be. But when she's facing the camera, it's surprising how she gets into the skin of her character and plays the mature and sacrificing Ichcha from Uttaran unbelievably well. But that's the mark of a true actor, isn't it? As she readies herself for a photoshoot with Showtime, I quiz her on the highs and lows of being one of the leading ladies of television, her image of a tantrum queen and much more.
While some take years to find their true calling, the pretty Tina Dutta always knew acting was her first love and that showbiz was where she belonged. "I started my career as a child actor in Bengali films and television when I was as young as four. When I was in my 10th grade, I was offered a daily show with Balaji Telefilms. But that was a crucial time for me in terms of education. So my dad advised me to finish my studies and then enter this field in a big way. Two years later, I got a direct call for Koi Aane Ko Hai. Uttaran happened after that without giving any audition or look test."
That's when life took a sharp turn and Tina became a household name overnight. Her huge fan following all over the world is proof enough of the fact that the actress is living her dream today. She says, "Uttaran has given me a lot. I have received worldwide fame because of this show. People know me as Ichcha even in America. People there have actually invited me to visit their country. All this is not a small thing, you know. It's a big achievement. I haven't got this much appreciation anywhere else. So this is definitely a very big thing for me."
As much as an actor's life seems glamorous and exciting, there's always a flipside to fame. And just like most actors, Tina too became a controversial star early in her career. Touch upon the topic of her being known as television's tantrum queen and she replies instantly, "If I demand the things I deserve, then yes, I am a tantrum queen. If I want to look good on screen and I'm called a tantrum queen for that, it's not my problem. I should look good on screen, right? Uttaran is the number one show on Colors and I can't afford to look bad. So if I'm asking for something for the betterment of the show and if I'm a tantrum queen because of that, so be it."
Besides being known for throwing her weight around, the actress has also made headlines for reporting late on the sets. Appearing unfazed by the accusation, she says, "See, we are human. I can show you my last two years' call lists and documents. If I have been asked to report at 8 o' clock, any person will get late by at least 10 minutes. When I come by 7:30 am, they ask me why I'm here before the call time. So this is really strange yaar," she takes a breather and elaborates further, "It's not like we aren't allowed to come one minute before or after eight, right? If because of that people try to malign me, I can't help it. Whenever I have come late, there has been some sensible reason. This one time I met with an accident when a car ran over my leg. In spite of all that, I came on set to shoot. I was running high fever and have still worked in that state. I have also informed my production people at such times. If people are still spreading rumours, I really have nothing to say."
That's not all. Rumours of her supposed enmity with co-actor Rashami Desai have also been reported often. Before I can complete my sentence, she cuts in to correct me, "We share a very good equation, okay. Rashami and I are best friends. We go shopping and even party together. And still the media doesn't give up gossiping about us not being friends." So that means there's no truth to that? "Ask my hairdresser if you don't believe me. She will tell you that we are good friends. If you are successful, people will gossip. And gossip makes a person more popular anyway. So I just listen from one ear and take it out from the other these days," she explains.
Moving forward we get talking about her much publicized link-ups that have made their way into the media not once but many times. Considering there were reports of her dating co-star Nandish Sandhu, one wonders how she took the news of his marriage to Rashami. She says with a stern look, "See, I have had so many link-ups. There were link-ups with Nandish, Rohit Khurana and almost all my co-stars. It doesn't affect me much because I know what I am doing. Nandish and I were very good friends from the beginning and I was very happy when I came to know about his marriage to Rashami. They love each other a lot. I pray that they lead a very happy life. I love them as a pair. Nandish and I never had any sort of relationship. It's a daily soap and people like linking actors up. People think that Veer (Nandish's character) and Ichcha look great on screen, so in real life too they should get married. But if you ask me, we were always good friends," she says rubbishing the rumour.
Besides her link-ups, another strange story about her being married to Mahesh Kumar Jaiswal, the supervising producer of Koi Aane Ko Hai, has been doing the rounds for quite some time now. But you know she chooses to steer clear on that subject when she slyly reads the question pertaining to her supposed marriage on the paper and asks me to skip that question much before I even get on with it. Hmm…do we smell a rat there?
She may have found a foothold in the industry but the actress admits that the negative stories upset her parents to no end. She explains, "All this affects my family. I explain things to them but neighbours come and taunt my parents about the negative things that are written about me. People should not bitch around. When something nice about me appears in the papers, people don't come and congratulate my parents. I have received so many awards. Nobody comes with a mithai ka box telling them that I have done a great job and how it's not easy getting an award. When it comes to gossip everyone is up for it."
Talking about her family, it saddens her that her busy schedules leave her with little time for her loved ones. "My father calls up and says, 'Haan tu toh abhi star bann gayi hai. Apne father ka call bhi lene ka time nahin hain'. I feel bad that I can't take calls because I'm shooting. Parents get irritated at times but I know they understand."
So is she treated like a big star back home in Kolkata? "I don't get much time to visit home. But this one time, I went to my school and all the juniors came up to me and asked me for my autograph. I couldn't even breathe because there were so many people around. Even the chairs and tables broke. Can you believe that?" she says with a glint in her eyes.
For long, it is being speculated that the actress has been looking to quit the show. Now if that happens, the audience sure would be heartbroken. "No ya. If that was the case, I wouldn't have been doing the show for so many years. I'm happy here. Everyone is so nice to me. I'm the youngest and the most pampered on the show. They treat me like a kid. I do so much masti. Everything is forgiven because I'm so young," she states.
Three long years on the show and Uttaran has proven to be one of the most gratifying experiences of her life. Controversies may have followed her but it's evident that they've turned her into a strong individual with time. As far as success is concerned, Tina is an achiever. But I'm sure this is only the beginning for the talented actress. After all, a young girl like her has much more to conquer.
*By Chandni Ghosh
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