Showing posts with label Aniruddha Guha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aniruddha Guha. Show all posts
I credit writers for not using pregnancy card in Rashmi Rocket-Taapsee Pannu
8:40 AM
As Rashmi Rocket puts the spotlight on gender testing in sports, Taapsee says writers were determined to not take easy way out in film’s resolution
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; October 21, 2021)
Rashmi Rocket has dared to do what other Indian sports dramas didn’t — examine the flaws of the system in the world of sports. In telling the story of the protagonist, essayed by Taapsee Pannu, the film highlights how some women athletes’ careers have been hampered by the age-old gender-testing practices. Akarsh Khurana’s directorial venture also depicts how an uninformed section of the population wrongly questions Rashmi’s gender due to her hyperandrogenism. While the protagonist is eventually shown pregnant, Pannu says it was a conscious call to not play the pregnancy card to win the gender-testing case in the film.
“It was a wow moment when I heard [the plot point]. I give the credit to writers Aniruddha [Guha] and Akarsh for the screenplay and the script; they made sure they didn’t use the pregnancy card [to determine her womanhood]. Why should you even have to prove [your womanhood?],” emphasises Pannu. The ZEE5 drama, conceived by Nandha Periyasamy, is co-written by Kanika Dhillon and Lisha Bajaj.
The film makes the case for pregnant athletes as well, showcasing how one can continue their sports career, should they choose to. Pannu admits sprinting with a prosthetic baby bump took a little getting used to. “It was scary initially. But I had seen many videos of pregnant women sprinting, and went through interviews of many athletes who ran, knowing they might not win. Just because they’ve conceived doesn’t mean they lack strength.”
As much as the film’s subject appealed to her, the actor says it was a single scene that sealed the deal. “I was sold on the pre-climax conversation [with her baby] in the locker room. That made me weep. It became my motivation to prep for the film and do those training sessions.”
Rashmi Rocket marks her third OTT release this year. While she loves the freedom that OTT platforms offer, Pannu brings in a new perspective. “OTT releases do take away a lot of pressure, but they also take away the validation of stardom. I’m not just an actor; I want to be a star who can act. I want to be able to shoulder the responsibility of a film. I can be the reason for people to come to theatres and watch a film. Box-office collection is the yardstick against which we can measure whether we’ve grown in terms of stardom.”
It is shocking that a woman has to prove womanhood-Taapsee Pannu
8:22 AM
Initially unaware of gender-testing practice in sports, Taapsee says the more she learnt about it, the more determined she was to front Rashmi Rocket
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; October 8, 2021)
Of late, Taapsee Pannu’s films have achieved what most actors aspire for — that rare balance of entertainment and strong commentary on a social issue. With Rashmi Rocket, the actor aims to initiate a dialogue about the archaic gender-testing practice in sports. Pannu admits that like the majority of the population, she was not aware of how the practice hinders many female athletes, until the project came her way.
“As someone who loves sports, I was shocked that I did not know about this. So, I started my research parallel to what Aniruddha Guha [writer] was doing for the screenplay. It’s shocking that a woman is asked to prove her womanhood to pursue her profession. It’s bizarre that there are rules that will determine whether she is a woman enough or not. The more I learnt about it, the more motivated I was to do this film,” she states.
The subject of gender testing came into Indian mainstream consciousness in 2014 when Dutee Chand was dropped from the Commonwealth Games contingent. It was cited that her hyperandrogenism made her ineligible to compete as a female athlete. When probed if the ZEE5 drama is inspired by Chand’s life, Pannu says, “There are so many Indian athletes who have gone into oblivion because they didn’t have the courage to fight. In India, Dutee was the only one who fought back, but a lot of athletes abroad have done it. Different [plot points] in the film are inspired by different athletes.”
From highlighting the importance of consent in sex through Pink (2016), to raising her voice against domestic violence in Thappad (2020), she has relentlessly brought women’s issues to the fore. Director Akarsh Khurana’s sports drama is another attempt to correct the odds stacked against women. “Whenever it comes to discussing taboo topics or portraying a woman who has shades of grey, the role comes to me. These roles help the actor in me grow.”
But it’s not an easy path to tread. After the first look of Rashmi Rocket was released, trolls slammed Pannu for her “masculine” frame. The actor, fierce as always, took it as a compliment. “One of the ideas behind doing Rashmi Rocket was to break the stereotype of a woman. But if I put myself in the shoes of women who hear this on a daily basis, it’s heartbreaking. I am used to hearing nastier stuff on social media, and it hardly affects me now.”
Taapsee Pannu to start shooting for Rashmi Rocket on March 26 in Mumbai
1:26 PM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 6, 2020)
“The students were so inspired by Taapsee that the school named their gym after her. She trains for two hours every day for better stamina and the body language of an athlete,” informs director Akarsh Khurana, adding that a diction expert has also been appointed to teach the actress colloquial terms and phrases in Kutchi. The first half of the film is set in Kutch, where shooting begins on April 1. “We’ll be shooting in three chunks. After Kutch, we head to Delhi in May and Dehradun and Mussoorie in June. Rann of Kutch is also an important part of our schedule. In fact, the first schedule starts with a song, which is set in the Rann Utsav,” Akarsh reveals.
The film also features Aparshakti Khurana and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero actor Priyanshu Painyuli. The screenplay is written by Aniruddha Guha, while Kanika Dhillon has penned the dialogue. “Aniruddha did a lot of research, speaking to several athletes and people from the athletics federation. Amit (Trivedi), who is composing the music, is excited about exploring the local music of Kutch,” Akarsh adds.
The director goes on to clarify that the Ronnie Screwvala, Neha Anand and Pranjal Khandhdiya production is more of a drama than a sports story. “The sport forms the backdrop of the film, while the story narrates an athlete’s journey from anonymity to fame and how she gets caught up in the politics and corruption of the sports system along the way,” he reasons.
When asked about the inspiration behind his heroine, the director shares that the character is fictional, but the story was a culmination of several real-life incidents involving female athletes from India and abroad. Besides Rashmi Rocket, Taapsee also has Shabaash Mithu in the works, which is based on cricketer Mithali Raj.
The actress had first heard the basic story idea of Rashmi Rocket from her South filmmaker-friend Nanda Periyasamy. “And she approached me to direct it after watching my last film Karwaan (featuring Irrfan Khan and Dulquer Salmaan),” Akarsh signs off.
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