A Star is Born

A break in a nascent acting career that lasted over a decade eventually led the actor to Cannes - and to scripting history

- Pushpita Dhar

The journey was meant to be like this,” said actor Anasuya Sengupta at a press conference after her momentous triumph at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, arguably the most famous gathering of world cinema heavyweights. Sengupta had just become the first Indian actor to win the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard segment at the festival for her role in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov’s Hindi-language film The Shameless.

In the film, Sengupta plays the central character of Renuka, who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after killing a cop. Renuka takes refuge in a community of sex workers, where she meets a young girl, Devika, who is condemned to a life of prostitution and develops a forbidden romance with her.

For India, the win represents a major milestone at the international film gala. “Even though I received the award, it’s a significant victory for the team and the country... it’s a win for all of us,” Sengupta remarked, reflecting on the award.

Stepping out from Behind the Scenes

Sengupta, who is from Kolkata, dabbled in theatre while she was studying English literature at Jadavpur University. During her theatre days, she was part of a troupe called Tin Can, which paved the way for her to land a role in Anjan Dutt’s 2009 film