Meet actress, Tillotama Shome. She is currently on a promotional spree for her upcoming film, 'Ikka', co-starring Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna and more.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleIkka, the upcoming legal drama, has already created a buzz online. A few hours back, the trailer for Ikka was released. Sunny Deol has stepped into the shoes of the lead character, 'Arjun Mehra'. However, it was his assistant, 'Madhura' (played by Tilottama Shome), who stole the limelight. Tilottama would be seen playing the role of a defence lawyer who is fighting a case against her mentor, 'Arjun'.
While Tillotama has gained a lot of attention for her fierce character in Ikka, she is best known for playing maid characters in films like Sir, Monsoon Wedding and more. From struggling with a stammering issue to establishing her foothold in the acting industry, Tillotama came a long way. Now, if you are interested in knowing more about her, we’ve got you covered.
Tillotama Shome was born on June 25, 1979, in Kolkata, West Bengal. Her father, Anupam Shome, was retired from the Indian Air Force, while her mom, Baisakhi Shome, is a former stage performer. Tillotama has a brother named Gaurav Shome. In 2015, Tillotama lost her father. Earlier this year, Tillotama penned an emotional note for his father. She wrote:
"Mr Anupam Shome. My baba. We don’t speak as much because Ma is the more talkative one. But something has shifted. I find myself thinking about him more and more. Suddenly in the middle of the afternoon, mid-stride, in my mid-forties, I think of him, and I feel his gentle warmth. Lucky to have him as my father."
Tillotama completed her BA degree at Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi. She then pursued an MA in English Literature at Delhi University. Later, she pursued another MA degree in Educational Theatre at New York University, NYC. Since childhood, Tillotama had stammering issues. Tillotama slowly got over it after she started working in theatres.
Back in 2021, Tillotama sat for an interview with TOI. During the interview, Tillotama shared that her parents have been very supportive of her acting career. She mentioned that in her family, no one belongs to the acting industry, but they were extremely liberal about her choices. She was quoted as saying:
"My parents were incredibly supportive from the get-go. We were a middle-class Air Force family, with no actors even in the extended family tree, but they were extremely liberal and more confident about my dreams than I was. My father's belief in plain hard work paying off remains the backbone. This remains unshaken even today. I am lucky to have such parents."
Tillotama Shome made her acting debut with the film, Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding. In the 2001 film, Tillotama played the role of a maid named 'Alice'. Eventually, she won the hearts of the audience with her versatility. She appeared in many films, including A Death in the Gunj, Lust Stories 2 and Sir. She also starred in OTT shows, The Night Manager, Delhi Crime and Paatal Lok.
After appearing as 'Alice' in Monsoon Wedding, Tillotama Shome got typecast in many projects as a maid. Speaking about the following, in a 2023 interview with Film Companion, Tillotama shared that after taking a break for a few years, when she came back to acting, it was difficult for her to bag newer roles. The Ikka actress explained that initially, she couldn’t say no to such roles. She was quoted as saying:
"You know, when I came back to acting after going away for a few years, I realised it was such an uphill battle to be reimagined as anything but a domestic worker or someone who didn't come from a place of privilege. Initially, one didn't have the choice to say no. After some time, when the bank balance was enough to pay the rent, I had to reckon with the anger I felt. I'm not rich, I'm not poor because of my education, so if I'm not poor, why am I getting to play only poor parts? I'm not rich either, so give me rich parts also na."
Tillotama Shome has been married to Kunal Ross since 2015. The couple tied the knot in a destination wedding in Goa. Tillotama Shome is connected to veteran actress, Jaya Bachchan through her husband, Kunal. For the uninitiated, Kunal is the son of Jaya’s sister, Nita.
What are your thoughts on Tillotama Shome's struggle with typecasting? Let us know.
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