Konkona Sen Sharma is not your typical Indian 'heroine,' but rather a brilliant actor is known for her groundbreaking filmography and diverse acting roles. Her nuanced presence, piercing gaze, and flawless portrayal of her characters distinguish her. As her fans celebrate her birthday, we look at her best performances.
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She was 'discovered by the Indian film industry after a few years of work in Bengali films. Konkona is a well-known figure in contemporary parallel cinema, appearing primarily in arthouse and independent films. Her unrestricted film selection, which is rife with ferocious themes and social issues, has also earned her a slew of awards in India's commercial film industry.
Because she is such a force of talent and artistry, and she plays each character with such tenacity and adroitness, ranking her films in order of her performance was especially difficult. We did, however, attempt it. So to celebrate the occasion of Konkana Sen Sharma's birthday, without further ado, let's dive right in and check out her top 10 films.
1. AJEEB DASTAANS
'Geeli Puchi,' directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, is one of four short films in the 'Ajeeb Daastaans' anthology, which stars Konkona Sen Sharma. She portrays Bharti Mandal, a Dalit girl who works as a factory assembly line worker but is unable to advance due to her lower caste. An upper caste, traditionally feminine woman named 'Priya' is hired as a white-collar data operator despite being less efficient than Bharti.
Bharti's acting skills can be seen in her body language, her control over herself and others, and her expressions of anger, love, and revenge. Konkona portrays a grumpy coworker who eventually softens, allowing the two women to develop a wonderful bond. And, once again, she proves her strength by refusing to be deceived and standing up for herself when she believes Priya will never do so. This is one of Konkona's best performances to date, as her character transition is as seamless as it gets.
2. DOLLY KITTY AUR WO CHAMAKTE SITARE
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Alankrita Shrivastava's feminist faith film 'Dolly Kitty' examines the repressed sexuality and journeys of two women living in Noida's urban concrete jungles. Dolly, the complex character, is played by Konkona. Dolly is a show-stopper character who is deals with an unrequited love for her mother, a sexually inactive marriage, a cross-dressing sensitive son, and a sister who is constantly being hit on by her own husband.
Konkona delves deeper into the complexities and emotes them with grace and aplomb, displaying a remarkable representation of all of these emotions and more. Although Dolly's coming-of-age story has flaws, Konkona has outdone herself once again.
3. LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA
In this film, Konkana plays the role of Shireen Aslam, a Muslim who is oppressed and hopes for her feminist rights. Aslam is a woman dealing with her patriarchal husband, who not only mistreats but also rapes her, making her one of the film's most complicated characters.
In a low-key manner, Konkona portrays Shireen's compelling helplessness and hapless fate with great acuity and brilliance. She makes an indelible impression on the audience in the role of Aslam, not only due to the vigor of her character but also due to her moral fiber and comprehensible acting abilities.
4. LIFE IN A METRO
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Life in a Metro was a multi-starrer film that followed the parallel stories of multiple characters. Konkona's film Shruti was more of a romantic comedy dissection of the film, which starred Konkona as an unmarried young Indian woman on the lookout for a husband. When she was paired against the late wonder Irrfan Khan, Sharma's Shruti was the bemused representation of several other Indian girls who go through this conundrum at least once in their adult lives.
5. PARK AVENUE
Konkona did something no other artist had done before: she took on the role of a schizophrenic. Mitali, 27, believes she lives at 15 Park Avenue with her husband and five children, but she actually does with her older sister Anjali (Shabana Azmi) and an elderly mother (Waheeda Rehman). The film beautifully captures Mitali's dilemma and confusion, as well as her family's helplessness.
To call Konkona's portrayal of Mithi anything less than extraordinary would be an understatement.
6. WAKE UP SID
Wake Up Sid, in which Konkona plays Aisha, a young, aspiring writer from Kolkata who has recently relocated to Mumbai, is one of Konkona's more commercially successful films. Sid (Ranbir Kapoor), a wealthy college student who lives off his father's fortune, is introduced to her. The couple clearly falls in love without realising it, and they eventually reunite.
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With her struggles adjusting to life in a new city, aspirations to be a writer, and dealing with a man-child in the form of Sid, Ayesha's character is complex in her own right. Thanks to Konkona's outstanding performance, Aisha is one of the most memorable characters in modern Indian cinema.
7. PAGE 3
Madhur Bhandarkar's film Page 3 is about Mumbai's elite, and Konkona plays Madhvi Sharma, a young journalist struggling to find her voice. Madhvi, who is from a small town, starts her career as a celebrity reporter, covering and featuring Page 3 parties.
Both inside and outside the movie, Konkona's portrayal of an ambitious outsider in search of the truth was well received. Madhvi's inability to fight the system or her agony of being constantly let down are beautifully captured by Konkona, and it is this that makes the film so compelling to watch.
8. TALVAR
Nutan Tandon (Sen Sharma) is the mother of deceased Shruti Tandon and the wife of Ramesh Tandon. Despite the fact that Irrfan Khan gets the majority of the screen time, Konkona nails the role of the hardened investigator to the point where even a minor role stands out, thanks to her natural flair and caliber.
Her emotional pain and grief at learning of her daughter's murder, her numbness at the system's inefficiency, and her subdued relief at being cleared of all charges are just a few of the many highlights of her brilliant acting in the film.
9. KADAMBARI
In this film, Konkona plays Kadambari, and thanks to her friendly acting skills, she imbues her character with a captivating demeanor. She married a much older man when she was nine years old, and she found comfort in Rabindranath (her husband's younger brother, who was the same age as her) to help her cope with the loneliness and isolation she felt as a result of society and her husband.
You will be moved by Kadambari's fate near the end thanks to Konkona's skills, knowledge, and experience.
10. MR. & MRS. IYER
Mr. & Mrs. Iyer is one of Konkona's and Indian cinema's most critically acclaimed films, directed by Aparna Sen, a writer-director-actress. The film was inspired by Hindu-Muslim sectarian violence in India, and it was meant to be a larger statement about the need to end communal riots around the world.
Her character evolved from a stereotypical upper-caste Hindu with reservations about drinking a Muslim man's water to a woman who formed a beautiful bond with the same man over the course of her journey. The tenacious pain in her eyes during the final railway station scene was enough emotive validation of her brief but the honest relationship with Raja. Konkona's incredible acting talent and craftsmanship are also on display.
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