Tillotama Shome is not new to acclaim. Her 20-year career is dotted with memorable performances in brave indie films, be it Monsoon Wedding (2001), Qissa (2015) or Sir (2020). But the actor, who is winning praise for her act in The Night Manager, admits that adulation makes her awkward. “I think most of us [feel that way], don’t we? Very few people grow up being praised all the time. So, it’s bound to make any one of us, who grew up in the shadows, [feel odd when praised],” she reasons.

Taking on the part of Lipika Saikia Rao in the Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur-led series was a tall order. After all, the role of the handler was essayed by Olivia Colman in the original British show, The Night Manager (2016), on which the recent Disney+ Hotstar adaptation is based. Now, as her character is winning the audience’s hearts with her determination and wit, Shome looks at the adulation with a sense of wonder. Reason — the mainstream recognition is a first in her 20-year career.

She shares, “I am overwhelmed. Suddenly, a lot of people are watching my work, as opposed to the indie films I did that had limited releases. So, for me, the numbers and the scale are new; they have increased exponentially. But thankfully, it has happened. After 20 years of waiting, let’s just say that I was not waiting for this anymore.”