Six years is a long wait for any actor, more so if it’s for a project close to their heart. Naturally, Priyanka Bose is relieved that Agra is finally set to release in theatres in less than a month, after much struggle.
“What’s the use of so much hard work if no one in the ecosystem nurtures it and sees that this film is potent? I am very grateful that Agra, by far my most favourite work in the Indian milieu, is coming out. Had this film become a cult, [only] Kanu [Behl, director] would have been celebrated. Artistes who are in the film need our films to come out for people to know that we are reliable.”
(L-R) Priyanka Bose and Mohit Agarwal in ‘Agra’
Also starring Rahul Roy and Mohit Agarwal, Agra premièred at the Cannes Film Festival 2023. Though the film was ready for over two years, Behl struggled to find distributors in India owing to its central theme — sexual repression in the context of urban space constraints. Bose admits she had apprehensions about taking up a part that might reinforce the stereotype she had long wanted to shed.
“I came with a lot of fear because I [have been] trying to change a certain narrative about myself. I was so bored of hearing adjectives like ‘hot and sexy’, ‘sultry actress’. I was willing to be very fearless. [But] Agra felt like a perceived danger. I would think, ‘When this comes out, the attention I will get will not be because of my craft, but because of how bold it is.’ But do people even understand this adjective? I don’t want a bravery award. I want people to understand that I am a very reliable artiste,” she says.
Kanu Behl
Bose adds that Behl understood her concerns and gave her the freedom to navigate them. “I never had that with any of the directors. Kanu Behl gave me the space to explore my skill set and potential. There is so much vulnerability in boldness. Only we know how we did it.”
The actor says she took up Agra also because of the support she received from her partner and friends. Her perseverance seems to have paid off. Last month, her film Jugnuma, co-starring Manoj Bajpayee and directed by Raam Reddy, opened in theatres to unanimous praise.
Even as she celebrates back-to-back collaborations with filmmakers she admires, Bose says her focus remains on growth. “I want to work with Neeraj Ghaywan, Konkona Sensharma, and Payal Kapadia. I want to work with the best. Whether they see me worthy right now or not, I’m just going to continue working on my craft. I’ll be ready when they’re ready with a script saying, ‘Pri, we think you’ll be great at this’.”
Priyanka Bose’s filmography
2007 ‘Johnny Gaddaar’
2010 ‘Love Sex aur Dhokha’
2010 ‘Gangor’
2016 ‘Lion’
2016 ‘Half Ticket’
2018 ‘The Good Karma Hospital’
2020 ‘What are the Odds?’
2020 ‘Sadak 2’
2025 ‘Jugnuma’
