It’s a humbling to represent Bengal at TIFF: Riddhi Sen

Actor Riddhi Sen stars in Bandar (Monkey in a Cage), Anurag Kashyap’s latest film inspired by real events and featuring Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra and Saba Azad. The film, recently announced as an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), brings together a diverse cast from across India. Riddhi speaks to Calcutta Times about working with Kashyap, sharing screen space with Deol, and why representing a diverse India on global platforms matters.

"It’s always a pleasure to work with someone whose work you’ve admired for so long"

Riddhi Sen calls working with Anurag Kashyap a truly special - one that lived up to every expectation he had of the filmmaker. “I’ve admired his work for a very long time, both as a filmmaker and as a person. It’s a rare combination when you admire someone’s art and who they are in real life,” he says. He further describes the sets of an Anurag Kashyap film as hierarchy-free and deeply collaborative. “It was one of the most inclusive sets I’ve ever been on,” he adds. What stood out the most for Riddhi was Kashyap’s openness and passion. “He communicates with every actor and crew member without ego, and his dedication is like that of a first-time director. It was refreshing to see someone of his stature carry such an innocent hunger for discovery.”

"Bobby came to set like an open sheet"

Talking about his co-actors, Riddhi highlights the freedom to improvise, especially with Bobby Deol, with whom he shared several scenes. “Anurag Kashyap’s filmmaking style gives everyone the room to improvise. Bobby came to the set like a blank page every day, ready to be written on. Everything happened in the moment, and it was such a joy to collaborate with him, Sanya and Saba,” Riddhi says. Speaking about the script, Riddhi says it resonated with him deeply. “It deals with a very human condition. Anurag doesn’t present heroes or villains – he offers a vulnerable, palpable reflection of what it means to be human.”

For Riddhi, the film’s TIFF premiere is both a moment of pride and reflection. “It’s a humbling opportunity that I got. There are way better actors than me, so representing is a big word,” he says, adding, “But it’s a great thing when we get to showcase our work on an international platform like Toronto.”

At the same time, he adds, the focus shouldn’t always be about national or global representation from a Hindi film perspective. “We are capable of doing it locally too, if we have enough support from our own industry."

Quote blurb:
“I think this film is one of the biggest boundaries Bobby Deol has pushed so far. It’s unlike anything people have seen him do before. And he’s so humble in real life, it was inspiring to watch him surrender to the process”“Anurag Kashyap’s films never have a clear hero or villain. There’s no black and white. He presents the vulnerable, complex condition of being human, and this story reflects that beautifully”

“What I loved about working in Bandar was the collaboration and respect. Anurag wasn’t trying to represent a Hindi-dominated industry on the global stage, but show that every state has its own repertoire”