Brick Lane gives Tannishtha the big break

GOOD SHOW: Makers of the film believe Tannishtha Chatterjee has done the role justice.

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Keywords: Cinema, Tannishtha Chatterjee

New York: Films made around Diaspora stories have done well at the US box office in recent years. Among them was Mira Nair's The Namesake.

The latest offering is Brick Lane, based on the novel of the same name. It is the story of a rustic girl from Bangladesh who marries a much older man living in London.

A Delhi-based actress Tannishtha Chatterjee is playing the lead role in the film, which releases in the US on June 20.

Tannishtha plays a Bangladeshi village girl transplanted to London. For her, the film is the chance to make an impression on an American audience as she plays Nazneen, the heroine of Monica Ali's novel, Brick Lane.

That novel was a critical and commercial success in the United States. But the role itself is more than mere words.

"It was tough because it is a character who doesn't speak much throughout the film, not only doesn't she speak much, she doesn't express much. It's all very internalized. She's a very shy and introvert character," Tannishtha says.

This, of course, is Tannishtha's big break, a starring role, playing a well-recognised character.

And the makers of the film believe she has done the role justice.

"This was a part where she had very few lines and she had to convey a lot through body language, through her eyes, through her facial expression. But she really understood, we worked together very closely, those small emotional shifts she had to make throughout the project," Sarah Gavron, Director, Brick Lane, says.

Brick Lane also stars Satish Kaushik, who plays Nazneen's husband.

Brick Lane, the novel, hit the New York Times' bestsellers list. The makers of the film don't expect a blockbuster but hope it connects with a large audience.