The movie industry in India is one of the biggest in the world. A major earner for the country and an industry where great talents overflow. Calcutta and Bengalis, in particular, have contributed immensely to this fraternity. We have had many great Bengali actresses and actors who have made a name of themselves in the world.
Antara Banerjee, today just 24 started her professional journey very young. She came from a very simple mediocre academic family who gave a lot of emphasis to education and has many Engineers and Doctors in the family. Her father was a senior officer at Coal India and her mother a homemaker. When Antara voiced her choice to become an actress, it was not what was in line with the family traditions and was not easy for them to accept. However, they agreed and for Antara, today, having a supporting family who understood her interests and passion made working in this industry a bit easier. She was happy at having got the consent which meant and still means a lot to her.
A single child, Antara was good in studies and was popular in school, because of her participation in extracurricular activities. Her interests in singing, dancing, and her love for the stage were obvious and this fuelled her choice of career, as compared to Engineering or Medical. She is thankful to her parents and they are the reason for her being in the field she is today.
Initially, she was participating because of her passion but as she got better and started to bring home the prizes, both she and her family realized she was really good. With the confidence and with appreciation from family and friends she ventured into acting and thanks to her dancing skills, the ability to express emotions worked as an advantage for Antara.
Antara got her first break in modeling whilst studying in Mumbai. She had randomly sent her snaps to a Casting Director and she got a call to act in Shaukeens. Excited she accepted the role. An actor’s life is challenging and to get work continuously is not easy. The competition in this industry is high, and being picked for good projects is a challenge. Antara got great acclaim for Bade Bahu and she was being recognized in public spaces as Pinky, the character she played in Bade Bahu. Indeed, a great achievement of any actor. Some of the projects she did and was recognized for her acting ability can be summarised can be put in a nutshell as follows :
Kasauti Zindagi ki 2, Laal Ishq on &TV as a lead, Crime Alert for Dangal as lead and presently an ongoing project Ragini MMS 3 returns as one of the leads. A few episodic shows like Savdhan India, CID, Gumrah of the renowned Balaji Telefilms under her belt. Few cameos for production houses like Sagar, Hari Om Productions and also Akshay Kumar’s production house to her credit. No work is big or small, every bit if done from the heart emerges a winner is what she believes in.
She has done many live stage shows and fashion shows besides print advertisements, commercials for consumer brands, woman’s products and jewelry and catalog shoots for major women’s clothing and even a daily soap opera in Kolkata. Antara worked as a brand ambassador for the brand Maniyar.
Her upcoming films underproduction under the banner of DLB Production has her casted opposite famous Roadies and Ashutosh Kaushik of Bigboss fame. She has shot for a short film directed by Gulaab Gang director Shomik Sen. The film has known names like Sarika Hasan. One of her regional films is under the production house of Purple Pebble – Priyanka Chopra’s home production. Being associated with good and renowned production houses, give an actor the credentials to move over to bigger banners and make a vertical move to do a lot more work that makes a difference not just personally but makes a mark on the professional graph as well.
Antara is of the opinion that, it’s not just the film industry but every industry has shades of nepotism. It was prevalent more in the past than today. No actor can take the audience for a ride; only if the script is good, acting is top of the line, the movie may do well. The workings in Bollywood and Hollywood are poles apart. One has to fall in line and work according to the processes followed here. Taking each day and embracing challenges only makes a person stronger, be it in the acting industry or any industry is what Antara feels. Our country has an overload of talented people and Antara is just too happy to be in this space. She loves her work and has never regretted her decision. She loves being part of this family and will play a very long inning in to the future, bagging great roles and showcasing every aspect of her talent.
Antara is very fortunate to have educative and supporting parents. Circumstances and opportunities come to many, but it’s only the lucky few who are fated to succeed will make it through the grind. Always ready to face challenges and win over hurdles is the mantra that people like Antara follow. Even though she had low moments, she ensured she never let go. She would watch a movie or listen to music to lift her spirits.
Isn’t life made up of highs and lows anyway!
