For all the male-led road-trip films seen on screen, it was about time Bollywood depicted women having a trip of a lifetime. The wish has been fulfilled with Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming production, Dhak Dhak, which stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi. 

Sanghi says that the early stages of prep indicated that this would be an empowering project. She laughs, “Every day, I would think, ‘I have learnt to ride an Enfield. Is this real?’”

Tarun Dudeja’s directorial venture, the poster of which was unveiled recently, tells the story of four women embarking on a road trip across the Himalayas, which brings with it epiphanies and discoveries. Sanghi praises Dudeja for bringing insight and sensitivity to the story, steering away from the male gaze one would assume he inherently harboured.

“When we read the script, we thought there has to be a woman ghost writer on it. It’s [unusual] for a man to understand a woman’s heart and thought process so well. He says it is because he has grown up with sisters and aunts,” she says.

Dhak Dhak gave the actor many rich experiences — from riding a Royal Enfield to shooting in “83 unique locations”. But it is the joy of working with three leading ladies that she holds closest to her heart. “None of us asked the producers who else was in the film. We read the script for our characters, and loved them so much,” she shares.

In Pathak, Sanghi says she has found a valued friend and guide. “I want to have her level of passion at that age. Ratna ma’am did 50 per cent of the riding on her own. We didn’t want to tire her out, but she was a fighter, and would say, ‘I am going to do it.’ With her, I would have chai sessions by the river. She still is my go-to person if I am having concerns about work. She understands me and my fire within.”