Eleven years after her last release, director Tanuja Chandra is all set to end her professional hibernation with Qarib Qarib Singlle. The Irrfan-Parvathy starrer is nothing like her previous outings - there's no blood, no gore, no revenge seekers. In the midst of adding final touches to her labour of love, the filmmaker speaks to BT about the changing industry dynamics, the need for more women filmmakers, why nepotism doesn't work for her and why the portrayal of women's lib doesn't make sense in Bollywood just yet. Excerpts...

You went into hibernation for more than a decade after Zindaggi Rocks (2006). What happened?
I never stopped working on scripts - some of them were on the verge of becoming films, but they didn't take off. Even Qarib Qarib Singlle took us three years. In the meantime, I wrote a book of short stories and made a short film with Kartik Aaryan. I was pitching to get projects on the rail. The problem is, people think that a director's job starts with 'action' and ends with 'cut'. They don't realize that there's more to it.

Constant delays and hurdles in getting projects on floors can leave even the most seasoned filmmaker cynical. Did that happen to you, too?
I didn't get cynical. Of course, the wait is frustrating, but I don't have it in me to give up. I was determined to keep at it because no one forced me into this profession. I am not a cry baby, who says that the world has wronged me. I will respond with anger, but there's no self-pity. The world is not responsible for our lives, we are. Having said that, the number of women directors has increased from the time I started, but it's not as much as it should have been. The numbers haven't doubled or tripled, though women are meticulous and talented. Naturally, something is coming in their way. There's no sense in not utilizing 50 per cent of the work force, but the world at large is not open to women moving up.

Do you think that the fundamental flaw lies in the way we raise our boys and girls?
Yes, the way you raise a child makes a lot of difference. For instance, my sister, brother and I were always made to believe that we are all equal. There has to be mutual respect between men and women. Don't look down upon them - that interaction will change the world, movies won't. Centuries of conditioning has made us believe that women are lesser than men. We have to fight that tide. And then, when we make movies, women empowerment will feel real. Right now, it's all just speech-giving and flag-waving to say that aurat kum nahin hai. Pehle usse kum maan-na bandh karo.

Be it sexual exploitation of female actors or the disparity in their remuneration, sexism in showbiz has been a topic of much discussion, recently. As a female filmmaker in Bollywood, what's your take on the issue?
There is sexism in our industry, but it features in all professional domains. Sometimes, I tend to think that it might be lesser here. In Bollywood, if you can guarantee success, it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman. Having said that, it's not easy to make women-centric films - it has always faced resistance. Whenever I choose a female-oriented film, people ask me, 'Which star is getting attached to this?' or worse, 'Who is the hero?' The industry chooses to be traditional even when there is a treasure trove of stories around. There is so much we need to catch up with.

Interestingly, Irrfan recently told BT that he considers Parvathy to be the 'hero' of this film...
Even in the film, Irrfan's character (Yogi) applauds a self-made woman. In fact, that's one of the reasons why Yogi is very special to me. The very fact that we highlight this aspect shows that it's not common. It has to stop being a rarity. It should come to a point where we shouldn't exclaim over finding such men around us.

Qarib Qarib Singlle is unlike the gory, revenge dramas you've largely made in the past. What prompted you to change lanes? Also, what exactly does the title mean?
I will go back to thrillers and action because I love them. I decided to make this film because my mother's radio play stayed with me, and I decided to set it in contemporary times. I've always believed that it's tougher to do a romcom. The title of the film means that you're never completely single. In Qarib Qarib Singlle, the lead pair is not each other's pehla pyaar. They both come with a past and are attached to it. The world says forget and move on. I say, remember it and honour it for teaching you so much. Remember it with warmth and never stop seeking love.