Tannishtha Chatterjee plays the last of the gypsies in Road, Movie. In a rather unconventional career in independent cinema, this Mumbai-based actress puts on display her talent once again, this time for the mass Indian audienceu00a0u00a0

Mainstream Bollywood may go, 'Tannishtha, who?' but the actor has been cementing her place in independent cinema for a while. She shared the nomination table at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with Dame Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway.

It all began for this self-confessed wanderer after she graduated from the National School of Drama in Delhi, and a visit to Europe for a year on a fellowship. "I had no idea what I was doing there. I just hopped from one country to another, working with different directors mainly from theatre. I lived in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Warsaw. It was quite a discovery."

Back in India, Tannishtha wasn't sure if she wanted to move to Mumbai but since this is the place for actors, she shifted base from Delhi. She found herself in quite a spot because "seven years ago, films were not as interesting as they are today. In the last three years Bollywood has redefined itself." Which is why she turned her gaze towards international projects.



After six rounds of auditions, she was selected to play the lead in a Bengali language German film called Shadows of Time. "There were big stars auditioning. When I was called in, I thought it was going to be for the role, not a lead part.

It was a great travelling to Toronto, Berlin. I met Keanu Reeves, Jude Law it was surreal." Then came her nominated role in Brick Lane, as a young Bangladeshi girl who moves to London after marrying an older man. This landed her a nomination in the same category as Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway. "Here were actors who I have admired. That made me believe all the more that this is what I want to do," smiles the actress.

What followed was a struggle against the feudal nature of Bollywood, and the danger of being typecast. Growing up in a Bengali home, Tannishtha was exposed to art house European cinema, not Bollywood. So, the move to Hindi films was a tough one for her parents to accept. "I didn't have a mother or father tell me how to go about things. In fact, it would be the reverse. They would say, don't do this or that because they had no clue."

The role of an upper class call girl in a Bengali film landed her atypical offers. "Later in an interview, I said I want to do a role in a sari. Three months after that, I got Brick Lane."

Enjoying the best of both worlds, the perks of stardom and walking the international red carpet, Tannishtha is happy that her privacy isn't disturbed. She's comfortable in her own skin to suggest that we meet at a popular coffee shop in Verova. The flip side? A whirl of talent might be going unnoticed. "It does disturb me sometimes. When I came to Mumbai, I could not walk into anybody's office.

I realised there was a feudal hierarchy that was tough to crack. So, I decided I'd work with people who auditioned me, who recognised my talent." A lot of the work that came from the West left her competing with the biggest stars for the same part. "It was an open field. We all fought for the role.

I have been successful at that. A film critic friend in the West, who writes about Indian cinema, said, 'you are so lucky. You are not part of the politics and get to work in a laid back way.'"

Having lived in Berlin, Tannishtha's tips on how to dress for winters came in handy for the cast of Road, Movie that's scheduled for a March 5 release. She says it comes from first-hand experience at having shivered at the Berlin Film Festival in a sari and high heels.

"When we took Road, Movie to Berlin, I was this pro. Before leaving I told Satish (Kaushik) what clothes he should pack. He said, 'Yaar, itni thandi rahegi?' There are times when they don't allow cars into the venue, so you have to walk there in the biting cold."

But it was worth it. The audience response to Road Movie was terrific. It was sold-out. In fact, she couldn't manage three tickets for friends, so she, director Dev Benegal and Abhay Deol gave up their own tickets.

Films may be where Tannishtha makes her living from, but her passion she says, lies in music. Having trained for 10 years in Hindustani Classical, she has sung for Page 3 and Road along with lending her voice to tracks in most films she acts in.

"Music is close to me, so I keep it low key. Dev knew I was a singer and was very clear he wanted me to sing. The song was recorded on location itself, and has no orchestral accompaniments."

Apart from looking forward to the release of Road Movie, a Lucy Liu directed film, and Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain with Martin Sheen, Tannishtha is involved in a project with the Royal Opera House.u00a0