Hard to survive in Bollywood without backup: Raima Sen

Actress Raima Sen believes Bollywood is hard for the strugglers who solely rely on the industry for their career without any other backing.
Raima, daughter of actress Moon Moon Sen and granddaughter of Suchitra Sen, said she never felt insecure in her Bollywood journey as she knew she always had her family to go back to if things did not work out.
"The insecurity of getting good work is there in many people. I am not looking out for my family, this (acting) is just a passion for me. So for me, it is easier but for other women it might not be... I also have Bengali cinema as a back-up," Raima said during her visit to PTI office.

She is an established name in Bengal but Raima calls herself a struggler in Bollywood.
"I am still struggling. The struggle hasn't ended even today after so many years. There was a time when I was at home for two-three years without work. It is not easy but you take it in your stride.
"If I don't get anything in Mumbai I can go back. But the girls who come here without any back up and they have to support their family and they choose this as their profession, I think it's tough. There is competition, rat race, camps and PR... Such people are gutsy but I think they don't realise they are risking a lot."

The 36-year-old actress will be next seen in "Bollywood Diaries", which released today.

Raima plays a prostitute from Sonagachi, Kolkata who wants to become a Bollywood actress.
The "Honeymoon Travels" star said she related to the aspirations of her character as she also harboured the dream of becoming an actress since childhood.
"I always wanted to be an actress. I have seen my mother get all decked-up and go to the sets. All this make me and my sister want to become actresses. We used to wear her sarees, do our make-up and stand in front of the mirror. Of course, I did not know that acting was much more than that and it wasn't this easy."

When asked if she had any hesitation to play a sex worker on screen, Raima said she never felt uncomfortable as director KD Satyam did not exploit the character's profession just to grab eyeballs.
"There was no skin show, no bold scene despite my character being a sex worker so I respect that about Satyam. He could have shown such scenes but he chose not to. He was much more involved in the character and her psyche."
Raima will also be seen in a comedy co-starring Kay Kay Menon and Tisca Chopra and a yet-untitled courtroom drama.