At a recent event, actor Taapsee Pannu highlighted how small films struggle for a proper release. Referring to her own production, Dhak Dhak (2023), she revealed that the co-producers lost enthusiasm and didn’t push for a proper release once they recovered their money before the movie hit theatres. She also mentioned that her co-actor Dia Mirza Rekhi helped her out in difficult times.

Ask Rekhi about this, and she shares, “It’s Taapsee’s generosity that she has publicly acknowledged what us standing by her and our film meant to her.”

The story revolves around a group of women who set out on a road trip, which results in their self-discovery. Rekhi adds, “Filmmaking is a collaborative, creative process. It takes the strength, will and fortitude of an entire crew to tell a story like Dhak Dhak. We were filming in extreme temperatures, in treacherous terrain and travelling to several locations.”

The reason she could further relate to Pannu’s struggle was because she, too, had undergone a similar situation while producing her film Bobby Jasoos (2014). “I will never forget what it took for me to produce Bobby Jasoos, when I was all of 28, and what it meant to have (actor) Vidya Balan’s unwavering support. When Taapsee, Pranjal (Khandhdiya, co-producer) and team were struggling, it felt personal. So, we did all we could, including hosting private screenings and interviews to lend our support,” she says.

As for the debate around the rising film costs, while small films struggle for just a proper release, Rekhi feels that actors should “support the process, so that stories like this (Dhak Dhak) are told more often. No production should ever be burdened by the weight of its cast. If anything, the cast should lend the story their might and magnanimity”.