Sukanya Boruah has had an interesting journey as an actor. Despite not being familiar with Hindi as a language, she went on to do a national Hindi TV show in the form of ‘Nima Denzongpa’. The show brought in national recognition and that led her to doing several other projects. Sukanya plays one of the leads in filmmaker Rima Das’ ‘Not A Hero’, a film which has been garnering accolades at major film festivals across the globe.
In this interview, Sukanya talks about ‘Not A Hero’, collaborating with Rima, bond with co-actor Bhuman Bhargav Das, the love from the audience she continues to get for ‘Nima Denzongpa’, the representation of actors from the North East in the Hindi entertainment industry and more.
‘Not A Hero’ has made rounds of several film festivals. Recently, it was honoured with the Crystal Bear Special Mention at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival. How did this film come to you?
I have been working in the Assamese industry since the last 8-9 years. However, I had not done any feature film. I had mostly done commercials and music videos. One day, I got a call from an individual from Rima’s team. I was told that Rima wanted to meet me for a project. I have been a huge fan of Rima’s work, so I was excited to meet her. I went to Rima’s house and we had a very pleasant conversation. Rima told me that she did not want to audition me as she was sure that I would be perfect for the part she had in her mind. She shared the story with me and briefed me about my character. Soon, we started shooting for the film.
Bhuman Bhargav Das plays your nephew in the film. Did you get to bond with him during the shoot?
Yes! Actually, Bhuman is Rima’s nephew in real-life. It was wonderful working with him. I have a younger brother and we share a very strong bond. I used some memories of our childhood as inputs while playing this character.
How was it working with Rima?
It was really nice! Rima’s style of working is very different from other filmmakers. She does not work with a script. She just lets you be and interpret things the way you want to. You do not have to stick to any pre-written dialogues and have a lot of flexibility to do things your way.
Do you also find that challenging at times?
Yes! Sometimes, it does get a little challenging. However, it is also a lot of fun. Rima does not work with professional actors. This is the first time she has worked with non-actors. Soon, things became easier. More than a shoot, it felt like a workshop.
When can the audience in India see the film?
The film continues to be screened at festivals. There are plans to release it theatrically in October. I feel overwhelmed with all the love the film is getting from the audience at festivals. It will always be a special film for me.
‘Nima Denzongpa’, which aired from August 2021 to September 2022, was the first Hindi-language TV show you did as an actor. How do you look back at that experience?
The show will always be very special for me. I had never planned on coming to Mumbai and working in the Hindi film industry. I was extremely happy working in my hometown. One day, I got a call from a friend of mine informing me about Colors looking for a North-Eastern face for a show they were making. Even though I didn’t speak Hindi, I auditioned for it. They asked me to come to Mumbai for four days for a mock shoot. After the mock shoot, they thought I was the right actor for the character. I was locked for the show. I got so much love from all across the country for the show. Initially, it was a little tough working in the Hindi film industry as I did not know the language. With time, I got used to it and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
In the last few years, one has seen some actors, filmmakers and technicians coming from the North-Eastern states coming to Mumbai and making a mark for themselves in the industry. Do you feel the representation of talent from the North-East has got better over the years?
Yes, it has definitely gotten better. Many of my friends from North-East are now working in Mumbai. More people should come and explore the industry here.
What are you doing next?
I am mostly doing ads these days. I am waiting for something interesting to come by.