Konkona Sen Sharma, India’s most celebrated actress and director, recently spoke candidly about her experiences working with her mother, veteran director Aparna Sen, and about the ongoing debate surrounding nepotism in the film world. In a frank interview, Konkona admitted that although she is a “nepo-baby” technically, she hardly ever experiences the worst of the nepotism backlash. She said that this is partly because her mother’s success and popularity were more visibly evident in the Bengali cinema industry than in mainstream Bollywood, which is on an entirely greater, more commercial basis. Konkona confessed experiencing a “little bit” of guilt toward the advantages of her upbringing, adding that growing up around film sets in her childhood exposed her to the inner mechanisms of the industry but did not necessarily bestow upon her immediate access or assurance to move through Bollywood.
Looking back at her formative years, Konkona explained that her parents, and especially her mother, created an environment where independence, critical thinking, and creativity were nurtured. Aparna Sen’s parenting involved a strict television intake policy,prohibiting Ramayan, Mahabharat, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Santa Barbara. Instead, she encouraged Konkona to read the original stories and watch things more reflectively, something that Konkona attributes to developing her imagination and depth of storytelling. This unorthodox upbringing gave her freedom to nurture her own individualistic artistic sensibility, unencumbered by the commercial demands or competition with her mother’s illustrious career.
In her professional life, Konkona has forged a strong career of her own. From her critically acclaimed work in movies such as Mr and Mrs Iyer to her award-winning directorial outing with A Death in the Gunj, she has made a conscious choice to select roles and scripts that have depth and complexity. In her most recent joint venture with her mother, The Rapist, Konkona described the respect they have for one another on set. Although they banter fondly, there is a seriousness about their work. Aparna Sen herself has confessed that working alongside Konkona made her learn how to develop as a director—to be less controlling and trust her actors more.
Konkona wrapped up by stating that while she loves to direct, she only does so when a story touches her deeply. Acting, she insists, gives her more freedom without the weight of creative responsibility except when the project seriously touches her heart. For Konkona, her path is not built on privilege but on careful choices, hard-won respect, and a lifelong immersion in the world of storytelling.
