Catching Raima Sen in a candid mood isn’t easy these days. The actress is busier than ever, straddling projects in both Hindi and Bengali cinema with effortless grace. But as one of her most cherished
films, Parineeta, re-releases in theatres, Raima found herself revisiting old memories, even as she addressed new challenges — from navigating social media backlash to redefining her choices in cinema.
“I Was Judged Without Anyone Watching the Film”
The conversation inevitably turned to her work in Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War, where Raima played Rohini Singh Dhulia, a sharp, sceptical journalist whose grey shades added to the film’s texture. The project, though, drew its fair share of controversy — and with it, online trolling for the actress.
“Everybody gets trolled. Even though I look like the type who doesn’t, I get trolled. Especially during The Vaccine War. Without even watching the film, I was judged so much,” Raima recalled in an interview with NDTV.
The actress revealed how, for the first time in her career, she lost followers in droves as people speculated about her political leanings. “They thought I was joining politics and all that. And Bengalis are very protective of their own people. I don’t know what they thought. But people will talk about you anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” she said with a smile.
“Bad Publicity or Good Publicity, It’s Still Publicity”
Despite the vitriol, Raima insists she has taken the episode in stride. “I lost a lot of followers, and everyone started saying so many things. And I was like, wow, in my entire career, this has never happened. But for me, as my dad and grandmother would say, bad publicity or good publicity, it is still publicity. So enjoy it. It’s better to be talked about than not talked about at all,” she explained.
Calling her detractors “faceless trolls,” Raima said she no longer lets online negativity affect her. “Honestly, people don’t know what exactly they’re trolling. Just because I’m part of a film, you’re trolling me. But I’m happy I did The Vaccine War because I think it made quite an impact. For once, I had bad publicity — and I survived it,” she quipped.
About The Vaccine War
Released in 2023, Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War delved into the untold story of India’s scientific community during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlighted the relentless efforts of medical researchers working under immense pressure, battling budget cuts, bureaucratic roadblocks, and international scepticism to deliver a vaccine that saved millions.
Raima Sen’s character, Rohini Singh Dhulia, stood as a sharp counterpoint in the narrative — a journalist whose doubts about India’s scientific capabilities mirrored those of many naysayers at the time. Portraying a figure who wavered between earnest inquiry and negative influence, Raima infused the role with both authenticity and nuance. Critics praised her for embodying a character who was flawed yet believable, a reminder of how media narratives shape public perception in moments of crisis.
