'It was unethical of Rituparno to drop me'

<div class="section1"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="77.5%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script><br /><a href="javascript:popUp(&quot1;photopop?msid=152035&type=0&quot1;)"> <img border="0" align="left" src="/cms.dll/thumb?height=268&width=268&photoID=152035" hspace="12"" /></a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Click to enlarge picture</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">Nandita Das hasn''t checked out Aishwarya Rai as Binodini on the website of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>.But she''s eagerly waiting for the film''s release on October 2. After all, director Rituparno Ghosh had first offered the role to Nandita.<br /><br />"t was a kind of a dress rehearsal to <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>," Nandita recalls, as to why she agreed to act in Ghosh''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shubho Mahurat</span> earlier. <br /><br />"That role wasn''t anything great. I did it since I was sure that I would do <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chokher Bali</span>. I was disappointed when Rituparno called to say that I wasn''t doing the film. I thought it was unethical," says Nandita. <br /><br />However, she isn''t about to let it affect her. "I respect Rituparno as a filmmaker. There''s enough space for every actor to survive," she says.<br /><br />So Nandita moved on with life, got married and did films like <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Kagar</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ek Din 24 Hours</span> that are now ready for release. She has also acted in an Action Aids film titled <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ek Alag Mausam</span>. <br /><br />Meanwhile, with hubby Saumya Sen, she assisted in making short film on rain water harvesting. "We are working on short films on education and AIDS. There is no reason for treating an HIV patient as the ''other''. <br /><br />It''s not that AIDS patients have an extra horn on their head. There should be a sensitive portrayal of the subject. Good ideas need to be sold interestingly without making it glossy. <br /><br />We need to pay attention to both content and form," said Nandita. Her concern for working on social issues has impressed Saumya. "I was pleasantly surprised to find how confident Nandita is about handling the technical aspects of direction. We might think of making short films and documentaries later," he said.<br /><br />Any particular role that hubby dear wants Nandita to experiment with? "She could try comedy," he suggested. <br /><br />"Oh! I''d love to do that. Not mindless hamming but something on the lines of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">As Good As It Gets</span>," she said. </div> </div>