Raima Sen From Love Sleep Repeat Feels There Should Be Some Censorship On Web Series

Raima Sen is no stranger to ZEE5 or to web content in general. Before Love Sleep Repeat, she has worked in the horror fiction series ‘Parchhayee‘ and a Bengali short film ‘Mehmaan‘. On Love Sleep Repeat she plays the role of Sanjana who plays the boss and mentor to Anshuman Malhatra’s character Vishwas. She also talks about her balancing act of working in both the Bengali and Hindi industry.

Watch the trailer for the series Love Sleep Repeat here.

Raima Sen plays the role of a boss lady with experience in life. ‘So of course it is a seven episode series and it’s mostly about Vishwas and what he learns from each of the seven women he meets over 7 days. While he learns something from every girl, I’m kind of the one he confides in, and I can give him advice on not just relationships but life and career in general,” is how she explains her role on the show.

She mentions that it was not just the role that attracted her to the show. “It was not so much about the character but it was something light that came my way and young people will love to binge-watch this. Thew whole set-up was new and yuppy which is why I wanted to do it.” Raima also mentions that she has a lot of younger friends in their 20s who turn to her for advice so she knew it would relate to the audience.

There’s a trend of web series being based on books as seen in Skyfire, Bhram and now Love Sleep Repeat which is based on ‘Seven Days Without You‘. Raima, however, doesn’t want any of her favourite books being made into series. ‘Once I read a book I don’t want to see it on screen and once I watch a movie I cannot read the book. Even for Love Sleep Repeat I didn’t read the book, instead I sat down with the director to understand what he wants. Except for Prachhayee where I read the books because we were taught those stories in school.’

Raima Sen in a poster for the series Parchhayee. (Source: Facebook)

While web series were not on her radar earlier it has really taken her career up a notch. On her journey in web series Raima is quick to add that she was the first one to launch web series in Bengal. ‘When I approached web series I was apprehensive because I was only doing movies up till that point. But then the kind of response I got and the international reach my shows received changed my mind. I feel this is really the future.”

However, she does feel that there is room for improvement there. ‘Well there is no censorship in web. So sometimes there maybe some things you don’t really want to do but half the girls out there have done it so… That’s the only thing. Films have that sort of censorship. Even in web, I will not go all the way because I have been in the industry for 20 years and now I’m not going to suddenly change.’

While she has won critical acclaim for the roles in Hindi movies, but she is still seen in selective roles. The answer for this is simple according to her. ‘I have done a lot of films that I’m just waiting for them to release. I have a comedy with Vinay Sharma called Alia Gayab Ho Gayi, I have one with Atul Kulkarni too.’ She doesn’t feel like Bengali cinema takes up more of her attention instead she says, ‘I live in Calcutta and Mumbai so it’s very easy for me to juggle both and choose only the roles that interest me.’

For 2020 her new year resolution is to get her movies released. Watch her role in Love Sleep Repeat releasing on 7th of September, only on ZEE5.