Tillotama Shome, set to reprise her role as a RAW officer in Season 2 of The Night Manager, says she adores detective sagas but would like to try her hands at comedy

Mona

A middle-class working woman, with her own idiosyncrasies, navigating her way through the power corridors full of men, actor Tillotama Shome gave a strong and memorable performance as RAW officer Lipika Saikia Rao in The Night Manager. As the show gets ready for its second season, Tillotama talks about stepping into Lipika’s shoes and her journey of two decades in the industry.

Starting with Monsoon Wedding as her first film in 2001, Tillotama did consistent work over the years, being a part of independent cinema and earning laurels. But it’s only through the advent of OTT that she secured a place in the hearts of people.

Her unapologetic, fearless and fierce Lipika Roy character has been well received. The Night Manger (Indian spin-off of the British series based on John le Carré’s novel) was a result of diligent planning and acting. “Right from the moment I got those amazing lines for the character, along with Priyanka Ghosh, co-director of the show, I started building Lipika’s character step by step. The result is for everyone to see,” she beams.

As season two gets closer to its release date, Tillotama admits it wasn’t an easy ride. “We shot in Sri Lanka right when the country suffered an economic breakdown. The show’s creator Sandeep Modi kept us all afloat through it all somehow.” The second season will see a heavily pregnant Lipika in an action sequence. “I haven’t done much action, but enacting this sequence on a set with women, and Priyanka detailing each little thing and keeping me safe, was very satisfying. And guess what, we finished before time,” she adds.

Love for thrillers

Also seen as Meera in Tooth Pari: When Love Bites, thrillers remain Tillotama’s favourite genre. “When watching detective sagas, I become one with the person solving the crimes,” As an actor, however, she wishes to do more comedies. “I haven’t really had a chance to try my hand at comedies yet.”

As for OTT, she opines, “OTT gave a huge boost to content. Different kind of writers joined in the space, writing different kinds of stories, which ensures work for different actors like me.”

When not acting, reading and cooking remain Tillotama’s favourite things to unwind. She highly recommends Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women. She also finds cooking very therapeutic and mostly indulges in Bengali cuisine. “I have seen my mother and my aunts cook Bengali food, so that comes naturally to me,” she says.

Tillotama strictly falls in the ‘live for food’ category. “I love to cook because I am very fussy about my meals. And I like to plan ahead. I love to eat and would be depressed if there wasn’t any fun food to lift my spirits up.”

Season 2 of The Night Manager streams from June 30. Not just that, there are five projects that Tillotama will soon be seen in. “I feel extremely grateful to get such a busy year and the opportunity to work with so many different makers,” she signs off.