Bhubaneswar: Bilingual actress Sreela Tripathy is busy shuttling between Bhubaneswar and Kolkata these days, shooting simultaneously for both Odia and Bengali movies.
Sreela will be seen in the Odia movie, ‘From Me To U’, which will be released on November 1. She will play the role of Bhauja (sister-in-law) of the hero. Over a career spanning over 20 years, she has worked in as many Odia movies such as ‘Tu mo Suna Tu Mo Hira’, ‘Dadi’, ‘Kie Se Dakuchi Kauthi Mate’, ‘Hero’, ‘Criminal’, etc.
She will also make her debut in Bengali cinema with ‘Paintings in the Dark’, essaying the lead role of Joaana. Helmed by debutant director Satyajit Das, the movie is set to hit the screens soon.
Speaking of her foray into tinsel town, Sreela shared, “I was born and brought up in Kolkata. But I shifted to Odisha for my work. My first Odia film was ‘Gangasiuli’ (1998). I was the heroine and Muna Khan was the hero.”
It was during the shooting for the movie when cupid struck. “Srinivash Tripathy was both the director and music director of ‘Gangasiuli’. We fell in love during the shooting and got married. So I became Sreela Tripathy from Sreela Das and settled in Odisha,” she revealed.
About her journey to Odisha, Sreela said, “I am basically a classical dancer and have done post-graduation in Bharatnatyam and Kathak. I was also doing theatre at that time. Srinivash had come to Kolkata to choose the heroine of his movie and selected me. I was 20 years old then.
“Initially, I was giving priority to the dance. I was not focusing on acting. But after getting offer in ‘Gangasiuli’, I started my career in acting,” she said.
“After marriage, I took a break of eight years for my son. Then I got an offer to work in the Odia movie ‘Prema Adhei Akhyara’,” she added.
Sreela has also worked for seven years in the Odia TV serial ‘To Agana Ra Tulasi Mu’. “I played the role Sweta, the mother of Chandan. I worked for the serial till it ended,” she added.
“The Odia serial ‘Manara Manisha’, which was telecasted in DD-1 weekly, was my first serial. I have essayed different roles while working in more than 20 Odia serials like Topae Sundar, Tupuru Tapuru, Sankha Sindura, Devi, Tapasya and Jay Jagannath among others,” she said.
“I have worked in one or two Bengali serials at that time with Soumitra Chatopadhaya,” said Sreela.
“Initially I had problem in pronouncing Odia dialogues. I was writing all the Odia dialogues in Bengali and used to remember it by rote. As I had pronunciation problem, dubbing was also done,” said Sreela.
“In the movie, Om Sai Ram, Hara Da (Hara Patnaik) inspired me a lot to say my own dialogues. He gave me courage. In that movie I started saying my dialogues,” she added.
“Now I have many assignments in my hand in Odisha. I am also trying to get more Bengali movies,” said Sreela.
For success in her career, Sreela gives all the credit to her family.
“My son in now studying in Class-XI. My family is very cooperative. That is why I can go outside home and work on my passion. It is really very important in every woman’s life,” she said.
