Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 27, 2019)

Actor-turned-director Tannishtha Chatterjee is now the mother of a little girl. She always wanted to adopt a child, and she turned her dream into reality a few months ago. Given the sensitivity of the issue, the actress took her time to speak about it, also hoping that others, who harbour dreams of adopting a child, will be encouraged by her story. In a chat with BT, during which her three-year-old daughter accompanied her, Tannishtha opened up on various issues. She spoke candidly about motherhood as a single woman and why she was clear about bypassing marriage. Excerpts:

Our society often believes that the institution of marriage offers ‘stability and security’ to a woman. While that is subjective, as a single woman, how tough was it to overlook that, follow your heart and dive straight into motherhood?
I am not married, but I have a child now. I tell a lot of my male friends and exes that instead of adopting a guy, I preferred to adopt a child. I have been thinking about adopting since the time I was 16. I was clear from a very young age that I wanted to adopt. When you say these things as a teenager, people tend to dismiss it, saying, ‘Yeh toh sirf aisa bol rahi hai’. At that point, even I thought that I am being very uptight, and it’s about a social cause given that there are so many abandoned kids in our country. As I grew older, the thought of adoption not only stayed with me, but only became firmer. There’s this brilliant Japanese film called Like Father, Like Son (2013). It revolves around a couple who learns that their biological son was switched with another boy at birth. The parents are then faced with the difficult decision of choosing their biological son or the one they raised as their own. While watching the film, I realised that this ‘our child carries our genes’ thing is a very patriarchal idea. You don’t have to give birth to a child to be a mother. Even when you look at our culture, Krishna was raised by Yashoda and not his biological mother, Devaki. Over the years, this thought got affirmed in my head.

How easy or tough was the adoption process as a single woman?
She (daughter) came to me eight months ago. You don’t choose. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a government organisation, and in the last few years, they have streamlined the process. It is not like getting a baby at a shopping mall. You can’t choose. This whole designer baby thing is not fair. Even when you have a biological child, you don’t know how the child is going to turn out. The only thing that you can suggest during adoption is the age bracket and gender of the child that you wish to adopt. I wanted to adopt a child of this age because older children often get left out. Most people prefer babies who are three-six months old as they want a clean slate. I chose that age bracket for a reason. I know so many single moms who have adopted children and CARA is, in fact, supportive of single women. Especially for the girl child, they prefer single women as they feel they are safer with women. I think my process was faster because of that. I jumped the queue and the entire process took about a year.

Is it true that being a part of the film Lion (2017), in which you played a cameo, helped you understand the process of adoption better?
When I was doing that film, I was nowhere close to realistically doing this thing. Director Garth Davis and Deepti Naval were doing research on this subject for her role in the film, and she shared many things related to it with me. We went to an orphanage in Kolkata during that film. I realised foreigners adopted a lot of older kids. Indian couples prefer adopting very young children. When I was shooting for Parched (2015), I went to an orphanage in Bhuj and I started sponsoring two kids there. All these things happened. That’s when I got to know the process and how one needs to go about it.

What was your parents’ reaction to this decision of yours?
Obviously, they had a few questions. Marriage was one; also, they told me that having a child is not a child’s play. They told me to think it over as it’s a lifelong commitment. My mother warned me and told me that I have always lived a teenager’s life and I haven’t taken responsibilities of raising a family, so this should not be something that I was temporarily excited about. They were apprehensive, but when I was sure about wanting to do this, they were supportive. It’s been eight months now, and it’s been a beautiful journey. Whoever is thinking of doing this, should just do it. I wasn’t sure if I should talk about it or not. On the one hand, it’s a very personal decision, so I didn’t want to make news out of it. I didn’t post anything about it on social media either. On the other hand, I want to reach out to those who want to do this and are privileged enough to take care of a child. I read a report in The Times of India a while ago, about couples who are opting not to have children owing to rising population and other crisis. I want to tell them, just adopt. A lot of them don’t want kids at all. Of course, that’s their choice and they are entitled to it, but I want them to just think once about adoption. Surrogacy, IVF —people do so many things to have their biological children. Give adoption a thought, too.

Your daughter is a little over three years. Do you think of talking to her about where she has come from, how you brought her home…and things like that?
She understands Bengali now and is really sharp. Now that she goes to an English school, she understands English as well, so I avoid using certain words in front of her. I spell the word adopt in front of her instead of saying it. Some orphanages believe that the children should know, so she knows that she has come from another place. That’s all she knows. She thinks I am the new mom as I picked her from the place where her biological parents dropped her off. Slowly that memory has faded. Now, she believes that I am the one who dropped her at that place, and I am the one who picked her up as well. As she grows older, she will start making sense of it on her own. It will never be a shock or a surprise for her. Another beautiful thing is that she has never asked me about her Dad. In the park one day, a little boy asked her why she doesn’t have a dad. She told him, “But you don’t have daadi and dada. I have them and mom.” These days, kids are so mature and adaptable. Their emotional maturity is amazing. As adults, we underestimate them.

The world is getting cynical. This step that you have taken makes it hopeful, isn’t it? To give a better life to someone…
A lot of people thought that I was being pessimistic for not wanting to give birth to children in this world. Environmentally, we are a disaster. Be it war or climate crisis, look at what we have done to our planet. Greta Thunberg (16-year-old Swedish teenage environmental activist) is speaking for all of us. Food is adulterated, oxygen is depleting. What are we leaving for our future generation? Why not help those who already exist? All of these things posed many questions. We are destroying the planet and there is no value for human life. Survival is the biggest challenge. A child brings so much love and beauty to your life. You can give the child a nice home. My child has adopted me and not the other way around; it was so organic.

There are challenges of raising a child as a single mom, especially when you are working in an industry that is so demanding and fast-paced, right?
I don’t want to compete with men, and I don’t want to be a man. I want to celebrate my femininity. But equality also means that I don’t need to be taken care of. I am an adult and I make my choices and live my life according to what suits my interests. Also, yes, your life does change after a child comes into your life. I can have friends over after she goes to sleep, but I rarely go out now and it’s all worth it.

Scenic locations, friendly authorities and welcoming locals are some of the reasons why Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the hottest shooting destinations in the country
Saptaparna Biswas and Farzana Patowari (BOMBAY TIMES; April 7, 2019)

“Yeh wohi jagah hai jahan Hrithik Roshan ne magarmachh ke saath ladayi kari thi Mohenjo Daro film mein,” yells out the boatman at Bhedaghat of Jabalpur to the tourists he’s ferrying across the Narmada. Around 600 kilometers away from this site, in Maheshwar, fans of Salman Khan proudly brag, “Aaj bhai cycle pe nikle humare ghar ke saamne se.”

It’s just another day in Madhya Pradesh, where big-budget films, famous actors and grand sets have become commonplace, as more and more filmmakers are opting to shoot in the state. It’s not just the scenic locales that attract them towards MP, but also the hospitality of the locals, film-friendly infrastructure and wholehearted support from the state department of tourism. When we spoke to members from the industry, they told us that MP is actually topping the list of shooting destinations in the country.


‘THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS FILMMAKERS’

A key factor, which has led many filmmakers and actors to trust MP for shoots, is the support extended by the local authorities for permissions and access to various heritage and protected structures. Harsh Dave, line producer, who is a part of the crew of Dabangg 3, currently being shot in Maheshwar, says, “The department that handles permissions for film shoots has been extremely supportive to all the teams that have shot in and around Indore. The permission to shoot at Ahilya Fort was granted much before the shoot had started. It was the same for the massive production of Kalank. The permission to shoot at Lal Bagh Palace, which can be seen in the first scene of the teaser, was also granted before the team had arrived. In fact, they also looked after the accommodation for up to 75 team members.” Syed Zaid Ali, a line producer from Bhopal, adds, “In states like Uttar Pradesh, one has to take permission from the local politicians, too. But in MP, not only does the government give permission easily, the people, too, are supportive.”

Even the shoot for the 2016 Oscar nominated Hollywood movie Lion – starring Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel – was conducted peacefully in the remote village of Khandwa. Line producer Pravesh Sahani recounts, “With great efforts and help extended by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT), we peacefully conducted the shooting in Khandwa and other regions. A local MPT officer was assigned to us for smooth transition through schedules, which was very helpful.”

“I had such an amazing experience in MP that I am planning to shoot my next movie here, too. I felt like I was shooting in a home studio, as the people and administration were so supportive. Also, the shooting cost in these cities is quite economical when compared to the metro cities,” says Amar Kaushik, director of Stree (2018).

SCENIC SITES GALORE

From hills, to ravines and spectacular waterbodies — all coupled with some unexplored heritage structures — MP has tons of scenic shooting locations to offer. Hari Ranjan Rao, MD of MPT’s film tourism board, explains “Since the 80s, many films have been shot in MP’s scenic locations. For example, Bobby was shot in Bhedaghat and Asoka in Pachmarhi. Director Prakash Jha has also explored the forests for films like Chakravyuh. Since the beginning, the green and lush natural landscape that has been a major attraction for filmmakers.”

Actor Aparshakti Khurana adds, “Our entire drive, from Indore to Chanderi, was so beautiful. We recorded so many videos of the lush green landscape. The Chanderi Fort is truly an underrated location. The beauty of these places kept our entire team captivated, and that is what came out in the movie as well.”


‘LOCALS HAVE OPENED UP THEIR HOMES TO HUNDREDS OF CAST AND CREW MEMBERS’

Besides the beauty of the state, the filmmakers unanimously agree that they are touched by the support of the locals. The director of the acclaimed movie Lipstick Under My Burkha, Alankrita Shrivastava, recalls, “We shot in the heart of the walled city of Bhopal, and though curious, the citizens never interrupted or disturbed us during our schedules.”

Director Debamitra Biswas Hasan, who recently shot the Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Athiya Shetty-starrer Motichoor Chaknachoor in Bhopal, says, “We shot in the BHEL colony and the way the people behaved there amazed me. They followed our guidelines religiously.”

Amar remembers how the locals of Chanderi accommodated the team in their own houses. “Around 300 hundred people would be watching our shoot from their windows and terraces, but not a single noise could be heard. I have seen people start hooting as soon as they see something exciting, but here nothing of that sort happened. People even offered us their houses to shoot in and made us feel at home,” he says.

Pravesh Sahani, line producer for Lion, shares a similar anecdote. “We had to house about 200 crew members in the town of Khandwa, and the people there responded warmly. They opened up their homes for us. Even the director of the film, Garth Davis, has fond memories of all his time spent in the state,” he says.

‘THERE IS NO DEARTH OF TALENT IN MADHYA PRADESH’

The fact that Bhopal and Indore have a very active theatre scene means filmmakers can get assistant directors, production team hands and supporting actors from these cities. Actress Aahana Kumra says, “While shooting for Lipstick Under My Burkha, half of the production unit and assistant directors turned out to be folks from the theatre circuit. Finding people for supporting roles at a short notice was never a problem either.”

Prakash Jha, who is credited with putting locations of MP on the film industry’s map, with Rajneeti, Chakravyuh, Aarakshan, and Jai Gangaajal, agrees, “Bhopal is a film city in itself. Besides beautiful locations and supportive administration, it also houses a great talent pool of youngsters, which should be fully explored.”

FILMS SHOT IN MP IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Dabangg 3

Motichoor Chaknachoor

Kalank

Stree

Sui Dhaaga

Sanju

Padman Lipstick Under My Burkha

Toilet — Ek Prem Katha

Jai Gangaajal

Mohenjo Daro

Tishnagi

Lion director Garth Davis on Oscar pressure, desi love and rumours of link-up with Nicole
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 3, 2017)

It was a coincidence that Australian filmmaker Garth Davis found inspiration to make Lion from a newspaper article. It brought him to India, a country, he says, “feels like home”. “I wish I could be more of a tourist, but I have explored India like a local. Of course, the story of Lion connected me with the place, but prior to that too, I was connected to Indian literature,” Garth Davis tells hitlist.

The director of the Oscar-nominated film, Lion, which tells the story of an Indian orphan, is currently in Mumbai to promote the project. He says, “Arundhati Roy’s God Of Small Things is my favourite novel. Once I land in India, I feel a sense of kinship.”

The filmmaker, who has struck gold with his maiden feature, says that a newspaper article about Saroo Brierley (Indian-born Australian businessman, who was separated from his birth mother and adopted by an Australian couple) finding his mother two decades after separation was his inspiration. “The story was magical. It traversed two different worlds. Its matriarchal quality was the foremost reason we made the film.”

Dev Patel (Saroo), who is nominated for Best Actor, had told hitlist last week that he barged into Garth’s office to audition for Lion. “I never thought he could be Saroo. I just saw him share the passion for the story.” But, some say, what added value to Lion was casting Nicole Kidman. “When I was spending time with Saroo’s foster mother, Sue, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Nicole. She understood Sue with such depth,” he says.

Nicole is also someone Davis has been linked with. Reports suggest her husband (Keith Urban) is upset with the filmmaker. Davis slams gossip, saying, “It’s stupid that when we were shooting, tabloids wrote about Nicole being pregnant. I’d meet her on set and wonder, where’s the bump? There isn’t an ounce of truth.
It was upsetting because my children had a talk with me about the reports.”

With Oscar nominations in six categories, is Garth nervous? “I don’t let pressure get to me. I take pride in the film we’ve made. Now it’s in the lap of the Gods to decide what it deserves. When we didn’t win at the Golden Globes, there was a little disappointment. Awards make you too concerned about winning and losing. At the Oscars, the odds are against us. If we win, I’ll be surprised.”

Saroo Brierley, who inspired Garth Davis' 'Lion', talks about his life that's now the subject of six Academy Award nominations
Benita Fernando (MID-DAY; January 30, 2017)

Dev Patel-starrer 'Lion' may have lost out on the Golden Globes earlier this month, but six Oscar nominations have brought the film back into the spotlight. And India born, Tasmania-based Saroo Brierley couldn't be happier. After all, he is the man whose true story, with all trappings of a perfect potboiler, inspired the film. Saroo was five when he was separated from his family in a Madhya Pradesh village as he fell asleep on a train that took him to Kolkata and other places before he was adopted by an Aussie couple. It was 25 years later that he reunited with his biological mother, thanks to technology. In a chat with hitlist, Saroo shares his excitement over the Oscar nominations. Edited excerpts:

You must be thrilled that your story and memoir (A Long Way Home) have found a cinematic avatar, with Dev getting an Oscar nomination. How does it feel?
I am super excited that there has been great recognition from industry critics. Receiving a nomination is fantastic as it will propel Lion even longer in the cinemas for people to watch and for those who have just got wind of the fantastic story.

Did you work closely with Garth Davis (director) and Dev during the making? Did you advise them on locations and the narrative?
My mother and I helped realign and shape the Lion script, and act as consultants. I showed Garth and Luke (Davies, screenwriter) the route I walked as a lost child in India and the clothes I wore. I think Luke and Garth had extra information, which wasn't in the book, to look over and maybe, use. I have taken a massive gap year to be part of the film's marketing campaign, which has taken a lot of my time and was extremely fun, if I might add.

Does the film stay faithful to your novel? If not, what changes were incorporated?
The film stays pretty true to the real story — about 90 per cent. Of course, for a motion picture, there has to be creative license. My family and I are happy with the final cut.

What has the reaction of your families — in India and Australia — been to the film?
My adoptive family has been amazed at how accurately the actors have portrayed them. They found the film endearing as well as sad since it touches every single emotion.

Can you share some anecdotes/ instances of your life before and immediately after the ordeal of getting lost on the train? It must have been a nightmarish time. Can you recall the many challenges you had to face before being adopted?
There were many instances during my time in Kolkata when I thought I was going to die — from being abducted to almost drowning twice in the Hooghly river to being thrown into prison. I didn't think of it much after the events had happened since I was living on raw nerve and off my wits. I wouldn't wish for any five-year-old to go through what I did.

You were able to locate your Indian family using Google Earth. Was it a tough search?
Google Earth was the catalyst to finding my family. If I used images from my memory, I would still be looking [for my family]. Without Google Earth, it wouldn't have ever been possible.

Can you recount what it was like to meet your mother, Fatima Munshi, after 25 years?
It was the most pivotal time in my life. I couldn't believe I defied what people once thought impossible. There were tears, hugs and a massive feeling of being reunited. I was extremely emotional.

Hope played a major part...
It was one of the ingredients of success. Chance, determination, love and an unorthodox mind are the recipe to absolute success.

What are your thoughts on adoption and the laws surrounding it, both in India and abroad? Do you think children, who have experienced similar circumstances, are in dire need of a better future?
I believe adoption should be available for [people of] every country and not blocked by the government. Having the option of adoption allows one freedom to have a child if one is not in favour of IVF or having biological kids. Many children need homes, and I hope this movie makes people consider adoption way more than they do now.

From coming out about being sexually abused as a child to being cast alongside Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, actor Priyanka Bose is slowly but surely finding her niche
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 11, 2016)

By the time this piece goes to press, Priyanka Bose would have lived her dream — attending the red carpet premiere of her film Lion at the Toronto International Film Festival. Apart from Bose, the film stars Dev Patel, Rooney Mara and Nicole Kidman and is based on Sairoo Brierley's autobiographical book, A Long Way Home. The film traces the story of a five-year-old who got separated from his family in Madhya Pradesh and, following a series of events, lands up in Hobart, Tasmania, when adopted by an Australian couple. "Sabyasachi is dressing me and I am very excited as I haven't seen the film myself," says Bose, as she settles down at a Yari Road coffee shop that she frequents. In the film, Bose plays Kamla, a rural woman who endured much after one of her sons goes missing; her sense of loss was what Bose imbibed. To internalise her character, Bose went to Madhya Pradesh to meet the mother her character was based on. "My questions were basic and just by meeting her, I could tell how hard her life has been. I got down on my knees and hugged her and thanked her for her courage," she says, adding, "She's the hero of her village now but a lot of people hate her for that. In fact, many called her crazy for years as she never gave up hope that her son would return one day." The book, she shares, was "Sairoo's one-dimensional testimonial" but the screenplay was "made up of fragments of everyone's frequency". So Kamla doesn't figure in the screenplay and is seen through the eyes of the protagonist, played by Dev Patel. But the co-star who Bose was particularly star-struck on being associated with was Nicole Kidman. "When I learnt Nicole Kidman is in it, I was blown. She's just incredible and my favourite films include The Hours and Eyes Wide Shut. Once Garth Davis [the director] actually told me that 'You and Nicole have the same kind of spirit' and I was like 'He just used me and Nicole in the same sentence'. I couldn't believe it."

But this isn't her first film to go international. She also played the lead in Italo Spinelli's Gangor (2010). Based on Mahasweta Devi's short story, Choli Ke Peeche, Gangor toured film festivals across the world and even screened at the Rome International Festival. "Unfortunately, we didn't have the right producers, which is why it never theatrically released in India," she rues. But working on it, she recalls, was "a truly liberating experience". "My audition scene was intense — my character was narrating the events that led to her rape. The director pushed me to internalise the sensuality of a tribal woman," she says of the film which was shot in Bengal and underlines the violence prevalent in tribal areas.

Born in Kolkata and raised in Delhi, Bose is "Bengali by birth and Punjabi by spirit". "Ever since college, I did dance shows — jazz, contemporary, modern, Manipuri and Kathakali and took up amateur theatre after graduating." Her first tryst with professional theatre was in Sanjoy Roy's Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan which was selected for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. "It opened my eyes to the world. My parents wanted me to pick a profession which guaranteed a secure life. But I am very rebellious and wanted to explore."

A one-way Delhi-Mumbai ticket was secured and Bose was in tinsel town to put her skills to test. "I wanted to do the kind of cinema I had experienced while growing up. Actresses like Smita Patil and Rekha — who didn't fit the mold but were poetic." But maximum city was yet to deliver on Bose's dreams. "I took up odd jobs like being a back-up dancer on stage, auditioned for tele-marketing shows. I did the odd advert but it didn't interest me," says Bose, who got her first break as a bit role in Dibakar Banerjee's cult film Love Sex Aur Dhokha. "I played the bitchy editor in the third story. If I were to do the same part now, my process would be different and way more severe." But Bose's most acclaimed performance was in the testimonial theatrical Nirbhaya, which is pertinent to Bose for personal reasons. "Nirbhaya happened in a cathartic way. I was holidaying in Kerala when the rape happened in Delhi. I was shaken by the incident and felt that fragments of me were scattered everywhere. I couldn't connect with the city. For the first time in 25 years, I broke my silence about being sexually abused as a child in the play, which also had women who had suffered similar realities. It was revolutionary theatre and that's why you make theatre — to tell the stories that no one wants to tell."

About Lion, she's positive, but also a tad nervous. "If you do one thing really well, it's a trap," she says pointing at how Nirbhaya's success became detrimental to her career. "When you do something so strong, people get scared and I wasn't getting cast for the things I wanted to do following the play. I also have a side which is soft and sensual and I can still play the girl-next-door. But even she has her secrets and a dark side," she says, sharing her childhood dream of playing Govinda's girlfriend in a movie.

What also turned Bose off about many filmmakers was their approach to casting female characters. "If someone tells me, 'Yeh tere dialogues hai, aake bolo', it doesn't work for me. When I wear the character, I need to know how the director envisions it and my process is only going to take it forward. If my character brief is, 'hot and sexy hai' or 'angry ya whatever hai' it won't work for me." Bose is however happy that the film industry has broken out of the shackles of nepotism but feels that female filmmakers urgently need to up their game. "I want to do hyper-genre films. India is experiencing filmmakers like Pawan Kumar (of Lucia fame) and stories like Paranoia. I want women directors to write better for women. We still think of the ghisa-pita archaic stories when it comes to women-centric films."

It's a sixth outing for the Indian actress as her film Lion premieres at TIFF
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 1, 2016)