The Night Manager Season 2: Tillotama Shome Talks About Playing the Character ‘Lipika’, Gives a Glimpse into Her Career Struggles

Bollywood actress, Tillotama Shome talks about her character ‘Lipika’ in the second season of The Night Manager on OTT platform Hotstar, and struggles in her career.

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: July 01, 2023

This week, the second season of The Night Manager will debut soon on 30 June 2023 on Disney+ Hotstar. The show, which also stars Sobhita Dhulipala, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Anil Kapoor, generated a lot of buzz in the Bollywood news. The wit and intensity of the Bollywood actress Tillotama Shome's character were greatly admired. The actor revealed that her character Lipika will experience new things in this new episode as she is made to feel insecure and subjugated by her seniors. The last time viewers saw her, she persuaded Shaan of her outrageous plan. She now questions whether she made the best decision.

Shome will wonder if she trusted the wrong person too much and if he is going rogue. The Bollywood star said that she believes Lipika is an apt representation of most of us, particularly women in professional settings where they must navigate the boys club with humor and pure tenacity. As she recounted to Bollywood News, she observed the character's way of tackling men's egos while maintaining dignity. And she took it as a lesson for herself as well. Shome also said that she is happy the show's best lines were given to her by the writers.

Shome cited her own prior experiences with the Bollywood news when she claimed that her perseverance allowed her to last in the business for more than 20 years. The Bollywood celebrity said that she had more jobs now than she did in her 20s and 30s. She learned to be her best friend during the waiting period by having patience and resilience. And Lipika possesses those traits as well. She has been pursuing Shelly for years even though he is a behemoth and virtually unreachable.

In a similar vein, no one in Shome’s family is familiar with this line of work; they have never offered any guidance. But she has persevered in it for years. To the Bollywood news, the actress said that she refers to it as the force of stubbornness rather than a miracle or magic. Whatever might happen, she knew how not to budge. She credited the OTT platform for the same, sharing that despite doing a lot of work over the years, few of her projects received theatrical premieres.

Tillotama stated to Bollywood News that most people in the nation were unable to access her work when she was away from her house. It was strange that despite extensive travel across the country and a secular upbringing, the woman's work was never appreciated in India. Shome said that her career has survived because of foreign film festivals and their generosity. The Bollywood actress considers herself fortunate that she gets to play a variety of characters today, at this time in her life and age.

There is a certain level of playing and democracy, and there is no pressure from theatrical releases, she continued. India is renowned as a star-obsessed country, and in recent years, the biggest Bollywood stars have been appearing on OTT platforms. However, the actor views this as a "lovely change" because it has made people more courageous. Shome said that the pandemic was difficult on producers and distributors and that everyone must learn to change course moving forward.

She said to the Bollywood news that it is an exciting time because it seems like everyone is 'partying together'." There is room for everyone, and it appears that there is no longer a distinction between mainstream and independent film. It made her drowsy to listen to it. Each of us is merely an actor, and while some may be more well-known than others, everyone is ultimately on the same platform. Tillotama Shome recalled her darkest times in life and said they included "many moments of deep despair."

She did, however, have a supportive partner and parents as revealed to Bollywood news. The actress explained that when you do not get a chance to use your creativity, you start to wonder if it even exists, adding that her Buddhist practice had helped get her through. The performer continued, stressing how crucial it was to realize that she has a life aside from her Bollywood career. Many people are willing to offer all their advice to someone weak and defenseless.

Shome said that many people did think she was "too old" to be an actor when she arrived in Mumbai, where she was already 30. The actress stated that some people asked her to get cosmetic surgery to improve her appearance. Even though she knew the advice was sound, it still felt odd. She may have had some experiences but I was not ready to take on everything. She feels fairly hot and joyful right now, at 44, and the Bollywood actress is looking forward to getting older and playing other types of women’s characters. She also wants that someone can find hope in her narrative.

The actor ended by discussing how essential recognitions and awards are in life. Even though Tillotama said she felt terrific, she had come to terms with the fact that she was not being acknowledged. To the Bollywood news, she said that she had won several awards abroad but not in India. And at that point, even though she had every reason to be working, she was at her worst, and nobody wants to work with someone angry, cynical, or filled with melancholy.

She never wanted to return there because she was so angry. Today for the actress, it does not matter if she does not get noticed or an award. She is aware that life has ups and downs, like a wave. To sustain myself for a long time, Shome wants to do activities that nourish her. She wants to work in this field till the day she passes away, therefore wants to adopt an appropriate attitude and balance it with taking care of her family, marriage, and interests.