Paoli Dam On Choosing Unconventional Roles: Boldness Is A Mindset And You Decide To Be It - Exclusive

National Award-winning actress Paoli Dam has built her reputation on fearless choices and emotionally layered performances. With her latest project, Ganoshotru, she steps into yet another challenging space

- portraying a psychologically complex woman from the 18th century. She plays Trilokya Tarini, described as India’s first female serial killer, who was forced into prostitution. The project explores themes of female autonomy, rebellion, and identity through a bold lens. In a candid conversation with Zoom, Paoli opened up about what drew her to the character, the emotional exhaustion that came with portraying her, and why she believes that “boldness is a mindset” — not something that simply comes naturally to actors.

Unfiltered Paoli Dam!

For someone who has never shied away from intense characters, Paoli Dam’s choice of roles continues to surprise. Her latest, Ganoshotru, gave her a chance to step into the mind of a young woman from the 18th century - someone torn between freedom and societal control.“I wanted to do a character like this for quite a few years,” Paoli admitted. “A lot of people wanted to work with this character. Even Deepa Mehta had announced a project last year. It’s a very unusual and interesting psychological space to explore," the actress told Zoom. The actress explained that the story of Ganoshotru is not about rebellion in a dramatic, loud sense, but rather about quiet defiance. “There was a woman who belonged to the 18th century. At that time, she was very young. She didn’t want to be in the hands of her own family. She didn’t want to depend on others," said Paoli. Paoli repeated this point several times during the conversation, almost as if emphasising the essence of her character - a woman seeking control over her own destiny in an era when that was unthinkable.

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While the project lasted just three days of shooting, it left a lasting mark on her emotionally. She said, “It was a three-day shoot. The duration of the project was around 40–45 minutes. If it were a full-length feature film, it would have taken 15–20 days. But we only had 9.5 hours of shooting time in total.”Despite the short schedule, the mental preparation was enormous. Paoli told us, “It was a different kind of character. I felt mentally exhausted when I played her. It’s not easy to portray someone like this - it drains you emotionally because of the psychological complexity.”According to Paoli, balancing honesty and sensitivity was crucial. “There’s a very thin line between glorifying a character and saying what honestly needs to be said. We wanted to glorify her, but at the same time, we wanted to capture her psychology truthfully. She has a lot to say about her life. It wasn’t just about men or women - it was about being human. There was no gender bias in her world," said Paoli. The actress shared that she approached the role instinctively, letting emotions guide her performance. Paoli said, “When I got the role, I did it according to my survival instinct. The feeling scenes were taxing and difficult. But when you’re portraying someone like Charles Sobhraj or playing someone like her, you have to understand what you’re doing when you’re accepting the role.”Paoli has always believed in challenging herself artistically, even if it meant facing public scrutiny or resistance. The interviewer reminded her of an earlier statement where she had confessed to being “bored” with predictable roles. She smiled and clarified, “Yes, I did say that once. We used to define those ‘bored scenes’ with a small drama cupboard. But that’s not the right way to work. When the word of a role wasn’t popular, I had to face many challenges. It’s really brave when you have to go through those steps and still do it sportingly.”When asked whether she was personally influenced by such roles, Paoli said the connection between her and her characters often runs deep. “I was convinced about what I was doing. You have to be bold. When you do something in a different way - something path-breaking - you have to be prepared for reactions. But I knew that five or ten years down the line, maybe even fifteen, it will feel usual. What’s bold today becomes normal tomorrow.”She added, “Boldness is actually a mindset. It doesn’t come naturally. It’s something you develop. You have to train your mind to believe in the choices you make.”Paoli believes this mindset is what separates a courageous performer from a safe one. “The characters I choose, the stories I say yes to — they need to have continuity. I always ask myself how long their relevance will last. Will this character still mean something 50 years later? It shouldn’t be something that feels contemporary now and irrelevant ten years from now. The subject should never feel boring or cliché. That’s very important for me.”Despite her serious tone, Paoli also revealed that the shoot was not entirely grim. “It wasn’t so serious throughout. There were moments of lightness, too. It was not just about one gender or a struggle — it was also about freedom, laughter, and survival.”As she reflected on Ganoshotru, the actress seemed both proud and relieved. “It was important for me to finish the work and give it my all. The character took me back to certain memories, and I think every role like this changes you a little.”Paoli’s journey continues to be one of reinvention — where each role becomes not just a performance, but a personal exploration. Whether she’s portraying a femme fatale, a historical rebel, or a quiet survivor, she ensures her characters leave a trace of thought behind.And as she rightly sums it up — “Boldness is a mindset. You don’t wait for it to come to you; you decide to be it.”