"I don't get advantages for being Aparna Sen's daughter" -- Konkona Sen

Konkona and Rahul Bose in 15 Park Avenue

Konkona says, "I'm very happy! It feels good to be appreciated by both critics and audiences. People have genuinely liked the films and I'm very grateful. This recognition lets me pick and choose my roles."

She picked up a perfect Tamil inflection and tonality for Mr & Mrs Iyer. How long did it actually take her to attain that perfection? Konkona says, "It took me about three weeks, which I spent with a lady, a Tamil Brahmin. She really helped me get a feel of the accent." The talented actor, however, does not believe in traditional acting techniques. She tries to be as instinctive as possible.

On her experiences with working with her mother, noted actor and filmmaker Aparna Sen, for the second time in 15 Park Avenue, Konkona says, "I love working with my mother. She is an absolute perfectionist. And I don't get any advantages being her daughter; she is a very tough taskmaster." About Amu, she says, "I personally enjoyed doing the film. It brought about awareness about an important issue. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots aren't taught in schools. The good thing is that people have really appreciated the movie.

On Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3, the actor says, "What I liked about Page 3 was that it had a very different script. We shot for that over eight months. The main reason I was attracted to that film was that it was my first 'big' film. I mean, it was a small-budget movie, by Bollywood standards, but it was a big film for me.

On her character in 15 Park Avenue, Konkona says, "I play Mitali Gupta, a schizophrenic. Shabana Azmi plays my older sister. Mitali thinks she is married to her ex-boyfriend, Rahul Bose. I did a lot of workshops, largely to try and understand the psychology of the character. The job is made easy because the character has been written so well."

What's next after 15 Park Avenue? A chuckling Konkona says, "I'm doing this horror film, called Amavas! It's just the thought of doing a horror film with blood and screaming that has me totally thrilled! Tara Sharma (her Page 3 co-star) and I play two medical students in Delhi. It's pretty scary!"

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent.