Always wanted to play Phoolan Devi, says Sampa Mandal on bandit-turned-politician's 20th death anniversary

Phoolan Devi was someone who always lived life on her own terms. Hailed by some as a folk hero who rebelled against rural patriarchy and reviled by others as a cold-blooded killer, she was a dreaded dacoit who eventually reformed herself and turned to politics after more than a decade behind bars. She was assassinated at the age of 37 on 25 July 2001.

When one thinks about the onscreen portrayals of the historical figure, the first name that comes to mind is Seema Biswas, who portrayed her in Shekhar Kapur’s iconic Bandit Queen (1994). But more recently, another actress brought Phoolan Devi to life on-screen — Sampa Mandal, who portrayed her in Abhishek Chaubey’s highly acclaimed Sonchiriya (2019). 

On Phoolan Devi's 20th death anniversary, Cinestaan spoke with Mandal about her experience working in Sonchiriya. 

The actress said that many newcomers were eager to play the role. “There was a lot of competition at the time to play this character. Some juniors from NSD [National School of Drama] and a few friends had also auditioned for this role. Luckily, I got in,” said Mandal. “I always wanted to play a strong character that gets me noticed, even if it has limited screen time. I had given many auditions for the role of Phoolan Devi; sometimes I was told to sit, stand and run while auditioning,” she said.

As she was a part of the repertory at the NSD, she wasn’t allowed to audition or work in films but she took a chance. “I had auditioned and shot stealthily as it wasn’t allowed. My sir had advised quite a few times that I shouldn’t do the audition but I still gave it [laughs]. There was no problem later, thankfully,” she said. 

While the actress used Seema Biswas’ portrayal for reference, she wanted to bring something of her own to the character. “I saw Bandit Queen for the first time in 2013 after I had just arrived at NSD. Before that, I used to hardly watch movies. After watching the film, I realized Seema Biswas is a great actress and I loved her work. At the time, I thought that it would be great fun if I could play the character someday,” she said. 

While shooting the film, Mandal wanted to ensure the character never looked feeble. “I was always concerned that this character should not look weak anywhere. Even when we hear the name of Phoolan Devi, it gives a powerful feeling. The director had given a brief. I had also done my research. I hope I was somewhat successful in playing that character,” she said. 

On a lighter note, Mandal had to make a great sacrifice by cutting her long hair, which she flatly refused to do initially. “The casting director said, 'Koi nahin apna hi khet hai, kabhi bhi ug jayenge [it’s your field, it will grow back any time]'. So I thought this was a small sacrifice for a character that is so good,” said the actress. 

Mandal recently played an important character in Sherni (2019) alongside Vidya Balan. She will be seen next as former Indian cricket team bowler Neetu David in the Mithali Raj biopic Shabaash Mithu.