There is euphoria, in general, about how the film world is acknowledging that female voices have been underrepresented, and now making amends. While Cannes Film Festival, in a first, reportedly had 20 female filmmakers in its Official Selection, women directors accounted for 44% of the competition at Venice Film Festival last year, according to Variety. At the Toronto Film Festival last year, women makers were behind nearly half of the films screened.

Rohena Gera, whose film Sir toured several global film festivals before releasing in India on an OTT platform, feels such screenings give massive reassurance to filmmakers, about their product. “Film festivals are providing a great platform for voices of female filmmakers,” she adds.

“Film festivals allow films that may not necessarily be able to have a commercial platform, to be showcased,” opines filmmaker Gauri Shinde, adding, “They also look out for unique talent and it’s extremely encouraging to all kinds of filmmakers.”

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), too, saw a record number of 32 women filmmakers whose films will be screened this year. National Award-winning director Rima Das, whose film For Each Other will be screened at IFFM, is happy that a change is set in motion. “It may take another 10 years to see significant change. But, I’m happy that there is a serious attempt to see stories from a woman’s voice and perspective,” adds the Village Rockstars (2017) director.

Makers of documentaries and short films, too, are getting recognition. Director Karishma Dube, whose short film Bittu will be screened at IFFM, says, “Making a short film comes with no guarantee that it will find an audience or a platform, so for the film to find a home across the world, it’s a massive honour for me. I hope I can attend the festival in person, someday soon.”

Akriti Singh, whose directorial debut Toofaan Mail was recently named best film (youth choice) at the UK Asian Film Festival, believes such a fest is a great platform to showcase a film, especially for newcomers. “It gives validation, and back home, amplifies chances of getting potential buyers as well,” says Singh, who also stars in the film.

Having remotely shot ads for WhatsApp with 10-member crew, Gauri Shinde talks limitations
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 18, 2020)

Agreeing that artistes emerge so much the wiser after every project, Gauri Shinde says her latest ad shoot taught her a valuable lesson — to be articulate with instructions. "I couldn't make hand gestures to explain things. Also, I had to remember that my right, on camera, becomes their left," laughs the director who remotely shot a series of commercials for messaging service WhatsApp during the Coronavirus lockdown.

To be able to pull off the shoot, Shinde realised it was imperative to have a competent director of photography (DoP) and the right actors. She struck gold with her casting — in her 60-second film, Sulabha Arya wonderfully depicts how the lockdown has left senior citizens lonelier than ever while Amruta Subhash shows how we are only a video call away from our loved ones.

"We were lucky with Sulabha Arya because her son is a DoP. He shot her portions at home," reveals Shinde, adding that Subhash self-shot her film as the 10-member crew — including the director, editor and sound recordist — doled out instructions. "We had created a storyboard before the ads were shot. We did tech as well as costume rehearsals for two days. During the shoot too, we filmed every [sequence] twice over so that we do not find anything missing when at the edit table. Our crew was on video call, and the footage was simultaneously recorded."

Exciting as it was to helm a project in such unusual circumstances, the director also battled her share of frustration. "Over the phone, you can't tell your actors how to emote. The intimate space that a director shares with her performers was missing. For instance, in the haircut ad, I wanted to tell Amruta exactly which strand to cut," she grins.

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 17, 2020)

The existence of nepotism in the film industry is something that nobody is denying, however, everyone does point the good and the flip side of it. Filmmaker R Balki is of the opinion that many a times, people discuss these topics for entertainment, and it’s not a genuine conversation.

“It’s undeniable that this happens everywhere. Think about the Mahindras, Ambanis, Bajajs… Their father passed on the businesses to them. Does anyone say ‘No I don’t think Mukesh Ambani should run this business, someone else should?’ It happens in every strata of society. So, it’s a foolish argument,” he asserts.

Elaborating his point, Balki says, “The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I’d ask one simple question: Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we’ll argue. This debate on nepotism is unfair to these few people who’re probably some of the finest actors. Understand that audiences don’t like actors without talent. Sometimes, they also want to see star kids on screen. I agree it’s far more difficult for an outsider to make it big in films, but talent gets opportunities.”

While casting for a film, all Balki looks for is “who is best suited for the role” and the person’s availability.

Many have used the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown to churn out fresh content. Balki, however, admits that it’s tough to write during this time. “The situation is quite bizarre. Neither Gauri (Shinde; wife and filmmaker) nor I’ve been able to visit our parents. More than making films, I’m missing not being able meet people. There’s not much free time because we’re busy thinking about a lot of other things given the circumstances,” he ends.

As told to Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 7, 2019)

For many filmmakers, the most difficult scene to shoot would be an action sequence or the climax. For me, it’s the first scene on the first day of the shoot because the film has just started, and you have yet to find your rhythm. It’s there in your head but you have to sync it in relation to the actors, the crew and the setting. Also, your actors’ pitch while delivering their lines needs to be right to set the tone of their character and to ensure that what you set out to say will not remain ambiguous. So, you have to set the ball rolling on that day itself. Then, the film assumes a life of its own.

We filmed my directorial debut, English Vinglish, in a linear manner, the way it had been scripted. It started with the introduction of the protagonist who wakes up in bed and, without showing her face, the camera zooms in for a close-up of her feet, which she then slips into a pair of slippers before heading to the kitchen. The mystery about who she is deepens, as you see only her back, while she ties her hair and bustles around making coffee. She sits down with the coffee when her ma-in-law calls and she goes to her with her morning tea. She returns and is ready to scan the newspaper when her husband shouts, “Shashi”. She turns, and you see Sridevi for the first time.

We were on the sets by 9 am. Since it was my first film, I was understandably nervous and wanted to get started by 11 am. But Sridevi was returning to films after a hiatus of 15 years and there were lots of visitors on the sets. Since it was a choreographed sequence, setting up the shot was also taking time. Her costume and make-up had to be right, too, because we were introducing the look of her character. Plus, there was a puja at the studio so by the time we got rolling, we were into the second half of the day and I was really tense because a lot of what was happening had nothing to do with acting. Fortunately, Sridevi was a brilliant actress and she was bang on. I watched, fascinated, as in minutes, she had metamorphosed into Shashi Godbole, a homemaker who makes and sells laddoos from home and is mocked for her faltering English till a US trip and lessons in the language change her life.

English Vinglish certainly changed my life but it didn’t make the first day of shoot any easier. For my second film, Dear Zindagi, the first scene was set in a Mumbai studio again. In the film, the first scene is at the airport but since we were shooting the home scenes first, we had to start in the middle of the film. It was with Alia Bhatt and once again, I was fortunate to get a gifted actress who got it right.

With my third film, I will make sure that we have two first days—a trial run and the real shoot the next day. Maybe this way I can make my most difficult scenes easier for myself.

Divya Kaushik (BOMBAY TIMES; December 4, 2019)

She was an amazingly sensitive, supremely intuitive, loving, caring, funny, childlike superstar, but she was my very own Shashi” — that’s how director Gauri Shinde described Sridevi, as she struggled to choose words that could define the superstar. “It is very difficult to describe a person, an actor like Sridevi, in a few words,” added Gauri, who was speaking at a session at Times LitFest, in Delhi, which saw the unveiling of the book Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess by Satyarth Nayak. Gauri was a part of the session on Sridevi, which was also attended by Boney Kapoor with Deepika Padukone joining them on stage towards the end of the conversation.

MEETING SRIDEVI FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS LIKE GOING ON A BLIND DATE: GAURI SHINDE
Reminiscing about her first meeting with Sridevi, Gauri said that it was like going on a blind date. She shared with the audience, “My meeting with Sridevi for the first time was like going on a blind date as I had never met her before. I was nervous and looked at myself in the mirror to check whether I was looking decent. When I met her, I was strangely at ease. There was something so warm about her. She was just so normal, lovely and something connected immediately. I had this positive feeling that this date might go well. When I started narrating the script, throughout the narration, she was so instinctive, genuine and everything that I would have liked her to be. By the end of that first date, I had a feeling that both of us would want to go on our second date. There was instant chemistry, instant love and it was too special.”

Talking about the time when she was shooting English Vinglish, the movie in which Sridevi played the lead character of Shashi, Gauri said she fell in love with the way the actress would transform when in front of a camera. “I enjoyed the whole process of working with her. We got along so well, we understood each other so well. I think what connected us was our ability to express ourselves through anything but work. She had such a great sense of humour, which was why she could be so funny on screen. Through the working of this film, we had so many amusing moments that we laughed like little girls and when it was time for work, she would change so effortlessly and she was in her character. So, it was so fascinating to watch someone just transform in a few minutes from this smiling person in private to this diva on screen.”

‘I WAS PLANNING TO MAKE ANOTHER FILM WITH SRIDEVI’
When Gauri was asked about her favourite Sridevi film, she said that it would definitely be English Vinglish. “At the risk of sounding selfish, I would say that my favourite will always be Shashi from English Vinglish... for me that role has been special. Before that there have been so many of her films that I have liked, but when I miss her, I miss Shashi,” she said, adding, that she has been a huge fan of her movies like Sadma, Lamhe, Chandni, ChaalBaaz and Mr India. “She was the only female superstar and it makes me so happy that I could work with a woman who was a superstar,” said Gauri.

The filmmaker also said that she was planning another film with Sridevi. “I would have loved to make a film with her every month or every year, if it was possible, but for someone like her, you had to have an amazing subject, you had to do justice to a star that she was. Yes, I was planning something with her. In my head, she was always like a parallel track and I was always thinking what can I do with her and there was a plan, but before I could say pack up, she left and that’s unfortunate,” she said.

‘WHEN SRIDEVI ENTERED A FILM SET, SHE’D TOUCH THE GROUND’
Author Satyarth Nayak said, “Sridevi started acting when she was only four. The actress said in an interview that before every act, the director of her first film, would break a coconut and do aarti because she was playing Lord Murugan in it. So that stayed with her, the fact that the ground was like a temple, very sacred. So when Sridevi would enter a film set, she would touch the ground.”

MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH SRIDEVI WAS ABOUT STAFF ISSUES AT HOME: DEEPIKA PADUKONE
At the Times LitFest, Deepika Padukone said, “I feel extremely honoured that I got this opportunity to be here. Boney ji and Sridevi ma’am are my first champions. From the time I started my career in 2007, they would send me a personal message during the release of my every movie and I still have all those messages. Sridevi ma’am was someone I got really close to at a personal level, may be it was a south Indian connect. We connected so well that my last conversation with her was about staff issues at home. So, that was a kind of relationship we shared. She was a support in everything that I have done in my life, personally and professionally. She’ll always be missed.”

Gauri Shinde discusses balancing humour with sensitivity as she directs Karan Johar in a commercial highlighting same-sex love
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 11, 2019)

If you've stumbled upon the recent commercial for a soup brand that features Karan Johar, chances are it left you with a smile on your face. The ad, which sees Johar treating a handsome man to soup at 3 am when he turns up at his doorstep, hits the sweet spot. While the film industry is warming up to same-sex love stories, the commercial is being lauded for subtly bringing the dialogue into everyone's living room.

Director Gauri Shinde, who helmed the ad, says the adulation coming her way has been pleasantly surprising. "We wanted it to be light-hearted, which is not a mockery of something that has had a stigma attached to it for so long. We wanted to portray the same-sex love story or coming out of the closet in the most natural yet heartwarming way. We think it is an out-of-the-box idea in the advertising space."

Although he asserts that his place is behind the camera, Johar has always been a natural before it. Quiz Shinde on the experience of directing one of the biggest filmmakers of Bollywood, and she laughs, "It was a delight directing Karan. The way he expresses himself on camera is genuine and instinctive. I asked him to be himself, and that's his best form."

It has been three years since Shinde's last directorial vehicle, Dear Zindagi (2016), which was incidentally co-produced by Johar. Does she plan to return to the big screen anytime soon? "We have a few things in the pipeline. I will make an announcement when the time is right."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2019)

Together, they are a two-men army. On one side is R Balki, a powerful ad filmmaker, who graduated to Bollywood with critically acclaimed movies like Cheeni Kum and Paa. On the other side is Jagan Shakti, who assisted Balki and director AR Murugadoss over the past 14 years, and is now ready to make his directorial debut with Mission Mangal. Over to the duo, who has steered the film and made it a reality...

Jagan has been working with you since 2005. Balki, at what juncture did you realise that he’s ready to helm a film by himself?
I met Jagan through a common friend. From Cheeni Kum (2007) to Pad Man (2018), he’s held different designations in my directorial team. The only time he wasn’t on my team was when I made Ki & Ka (2016). For me, he’s been a part of this little family I have at work. Over these years, I’ve realised that he’s very capable. Since my wife Gauri (filmmaker Gauri Shinde) and I make fewer films, he also worked with Murugadoss. I would describe Jagan as a creative person, who can also be destructive, like most creative minds are. To answer your question, he was going to make another film years ago which didn’t work out. I was concerned about him, as he was somewhat frustrated.

Is that when you decided to produce Mission Mangal instead?
Balki: While working on Pad Man, Jagan came up with an idea on the launch of the Mangalyaan. His sister Sujatha works at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a scientist. He worked hard to develop the idea, and initially, we even toyed with the thought of making it in another language. However, eventually, we decided that the film needs a big scale and making it in Hindi might be the best option. The thought was to make an emotional movie about a space mission that we’re proud of; something that has human elements, unlike Hollywood films like Gravity (2013), which are more fiction and fantasy. I met Akshay Kumar and he, too, seemed interested in the idea. However, his question was, ‘What am I doing in this film?’ I told him that it’s just an idea and we’d flesh it out. Over the next three months, I worked with Jagan and our writers. Together, we created a set of fictitious, yet strong characters, who would narrate the story of one of modern India’s greatest achievements. We’ve kept the scientific aspects and the flow of events as close to reality as possible.

Along with Akshay Kumar, the film is headlined by five strong women characters (played by Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen and Kirti Kulhari). You are known to make films with strong women characters, and going by the trailer of Mission Mangal, this story, too, seems to be driven by them...
Balki: Akshay is the hero of this film, and so are the five women, who play characters that are as strong and as important as his. He’s a superstar with no herogiri to do here, but he’s at the centre of the story, while substantial parts are played by strong artistes, who happen to be women. Once we completed our script, everything fell into place. This was the first film I narrated to Vidya Balan after Paa (2009) and she was ecstatic. Just like her, I wanted each and every character to have a place of its own. I’d like to believe that we’ve achieved that. I must add that Jagan added a lot of muscle and elements to every character.
Jagan: Balki sir and I had this very interesting line that we had planned to give Vidya’s character. At some point, we wanted her to say that it’s science that makes me a scientist, not my gender. It was a powerful line, but we didn’t find the right point to place it.
Balki: I disagree with the thought that Mission Mangal is a woman-empowerment film or a woman-centric film. These are just phrases or concepts that we latch on to. It’s rare and nice to see so many women on a single film poster. It must have received a lot of attention, but this film is led by Akshay Kumar, like Pad Man was. That was about sanitary napkins, but the story was led by Akshay’s character. So, I disagree with the notion that we’ve made a woman-centric film. And why should I attempt to empower women who are already far superior and more powerful than men? Do they even need it?
Jagan: To me, they are all scientists at ISRO. In fact, even the women who work at ISRO, including my sister, don’t think that they are any different from their male colleagues. Gender doesn’t get into the way of their everyday work, which is complex and challenging. For them, a sari or shirt doesn’t matter — all that matters is that you are a scientist who can aid India’s space program. There were thousands of people involved in the Mars Mission; we’ve created seven-eight characters to front their story. To us, this is a thought-empowerment film. If you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible. Akshay sir’s character is not empowering anyone in the film; he’s just working with them.

Jagan, at any given time, there were at least three top stars on your set. Did it get difficult to handle so many A-listers in your first film? Isn’t it a hefty cast to justify in terms of screen time?
Jagan: It didn’t get difficult and the credit for that goes to the script. Initially, everyone presented their views on their characters and the situations, but once they came on board, they were clear about what they were doing. My cast came with no starry baggage and they didn’t treat me like a first-time director. We knew that there was room for on-the-spot improvement. That was inevitable with such big names on board and I’d be foolish to not take their inputs; in fact, I grabbed the inputs by the collar. But there was a rhythm that no one could break because that could impact the overall film and take away from what we intended to say. No one could add or eliminate lines because it was written in a certain manner. Fortunately, everyone got their parts correctly. Balki sir and I had even rehearsed the scenes before putting them into the script. And none of the actors were vying for extra screen time. The film is bigger than that for them. Today, nearly every actor knows that a character is far more important than screen time.

When you guys started shooting, there were reports of a court case being filed by an NRI filmmaker, who had claimed that this film is based on her story, titled Space Moms...
Balki: The story of this film belongs to ISRO and it’s across every platform in the world. People have made films, documentaries, features on this subject and everything around it. The film is about a mission and the sacrifices people have made for it to be a success. ISRO belongs to everyone and no one can claim to own this story solely.

Jagan, let’s talk about the research that you’ve put into the film. Balki had mentioned earlier in the interview that you put in a lot of hard work before the film went on the floors...
Jagan: My sister Sujata helped me understand a lot of things and also directed me to the right people at ISRO. I interviewed at least 30-40 scientists, who worked on the mission and their contributions are immense. I have 1,800 hours of audio recording, which came in handy while trying to make science palatable for a regular cinegoer.
Balki: People will come to the theatre for an experience; we have to pass on knowledge without making it seem so. We had to find simpler ways to decode complex scientific things. We used every-day examples to explain the goings-on of space and blend it with an emotional and thrilling story.
Jagan: For instance, you see Akshay sir explaining a space concept by using the example of making puris. We are educated to understand science, but in a film, it has to be interpreted differently. In reality, ISRO scientists had not done it this way; this is how we’ve fictionalised the story a bit.

Did you have to get your script vetted by ISRO?
Balki: We have all seen the documentaries and the material available in the public domain. But knowing too much can also get into the way of writing a script. So, drawing that line was essential while writing the film. You see, we were not learning to launch a rocket while making this film. Each time we hit a roadblock or we needed to check on facts, Jagan would reach out to the ISRO officials. Also, we didn’t set out to make a salute-your-flag Independence Day film. The nation has already saluted the scientists for their achievement. Our job here was to write an enjoyable film that will leave you feeling charged and inspired.

Balki’s films have a certain sensibility. Was there ever a creative clash or conflict at any level of execution?
Jagan: I pushed my way through things (laughs!). There were times when I succeeded and times when I didn't. There were times when he came around an idea that he had initially rejected, and there were times when I withdrew my thoughts. If you have a convincing argument, sir is never egoistic about it, he takes it in the right spirit.
Balki: Jagan is an enthusiastic person with a commercial bent of mind. But I sincerely believed that this story didn’t need any seeti-bajao moments. I believe the film is Jagan’s vision; I’ve helped him shape it appropriately. I didn’t even go to his set for more than three days, but I’ve shouted at him like I’ve done for no other film of mine. Gauri sometimes would come down heavily on me for that; she’d make me realise it’s his film (laughs!). Two people can never direct a film and that’s the reason I limited my contribution to the script; it’s the first time I’ve worked on a film that I’m not directing. I helped him write it to ensure that it stays true to the vision he had when he came to me with it. I never let him forget the image of those women at ISRO celebrating the Mars Mission. You get your chance to make your first film just once, and it has to be nothing but perfect. It doesn’t matter if it’s the biggest hit of the year, if it’s not perfect, you will live with that feeling all your life. If I can stop a mistake, I should. Jagan’s been that mentee who has put up with me silently.

Boney Kapoor, family joined by Ajith, Gauri Shinde on the actress’s first death anniversary in Chennai
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 15, 2019)

On February 24 2018, Sridevi breathed her last in Dubai, after attending the wedding ceremony of Mohit Marwah and Antara Motiwala in Al Jazirah Al Hamrah.

A year on, her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor and children, Janhvi and Khushi, arrived in Chennai, her hometown, to mark the day with a pooja on Thursday. Joining the trio at Sridevi’s maternal home, in the Mylapore neighbourhood of the Tamil Nadu capital, were Anil and Sunita Kapoor, Tamil actor Ajith Kumar and Sridevi’s English Vinglish director Gauri Shinde, who was accompanied by her filmmaker-husband R Balki.

Boney confirmed that Thursday was Sridevi’s death anniversary according to the “tithi” but didn’t wish to speak further on the subject.

“She was my brother’s wife, and my wife’s friend as they connected really well. Whenever we met there was always fun, laughter and humour. People like Sri ji are difficult to forget. Her body of work is fabulous and inspiring. Her films are still being seen and pictures still being published everywhere. She will always be missed,” Anil had told Mirror recently.

Team reunited for film’s success party where Sonakshi announced being part of Dabangg 3
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 21, 2019)

On Saturday, Amit Sharma hosted a terrace party to bring in the birthday of his director wife, Aleya Sen Sharma and also celebrate the success of his last film, Badhaai Ho. The party kicked off around 9.30pm. Sonakshi Sinha, in a flaming red dress, director duo, R Balki with wife Gauri Shinde, Badhaai Ho actors Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta with husband Vivek Mehra and Gajraj Rao were among the first to arrive. Ayushmann Khurrana walked in after midnight, and Sanya and he then went on to burn the dance floor, grooving to the popular hit, “Morni Banke”, with Neena joining in. The live band started with Punjabi and folk songs before moving to Bollywood hits. “Amit danced the most and demonstrated the hook step from the song perfectly,” added a guest.

Sonakshi and he walked down memory lane to their film, Tevar. She informed that she would begin Dabangg 3 with Salman Khan soon and reprise her role of Rajjo. “It’s like homecoming for me,” the actress exulted.

Boney Kapoor, one of the producers on Amit’s next directorial, a sports biopic with Ajay Devgn playing Syed Abdul Rahim, the coach and manager of the Indian football team in the ‘50s and ‘60s, was also present at the bash. So, were actors Saqib Saleem and Jackky Bhagnani. On the menu were Chinese starters. The venue was decorated with white roses. 

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 15, 2018)

After Producers Guild of India and the Screenwriters Association, who have set up anti-harassment committees in the wake of #MeToo in Bollywood, 11 women filmmakers have joined hands to lend support of the movement.

Alankrita Shrivastava, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao, Konkona Sen Sharma, Meghna Gulzar, Nandita Das, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti, Ruchi Narain, Shonali Bose and Zoya Akhtar, released a joint statement on Sunday. “We are here to spread awareness and to help create a safe and equal atmosphere for all in the workplace. We have also taken a stand to not work with proven offenders. We urge all our peers in the industry to do the same,” the statement read.

Lipstick Under My Burkha director Alankrita feels that #MeToo has come to India as a cry against a system that has failed women. “It is about social change against toxic masculinity and normalised misogyny. I think we all felt the need to let the women in the industry know that they are not alone and ended up reaching out to each other to make it happen. It is a shout-out to our peers to come together to create a more equitable film industry. The Women in Cinema Collective is already doing some fantastic work in the Malayalam film industry. I hope that we can work towards forming a solid network of female filmmakers who can be a voice of change,” she said.

Dear Zindagi director Gauri Shinde is positive that more women filmmakers from across the country will join in and make it a substantial movement, while Ruchi Narain who has written Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and directed Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow, told Mirror, “Too many men have abused their power to prey on, assault and intimidate women for too long. We want to add our support to the voices of these women and others who are yet to come forward, so they feel empowered and safe in their lives and jobs to stand up for themselves. The balance in the business needs to change and move towards equal opportunity.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 13, 2018)

Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire (2008) catapulted Mumbai girl Freida Pinto to global fame. Back in Mumbai to promote her upcoming film Love Sonia, directed by Tabrez Noorani, the actress talks about the challenges she faced post her overnight success and the journey that followed. Her friend and mentor, Tabrez, too, shares his thoughts on the film and the message he hopes to send across through it. Excerpts...

Freida, yours is considered to be an overnight success story, post Slumdog Millionaire, but I am sure you had your share of challenges, too, while trying to make a foray in the West...
The biggest challenge I faced was the massive responsibility. After Slumdog happened, there was no formula to follow. I wasn’t sure what it would take for my next film to succeed, so everything I did was a risk. The process of signing on an agent, and the whole PR and marketing machinery was new to me. The challenges were more so in understanding the way the system works and to find my voice within that. I was sure about the kind of films I wanted to do. But there was no guarantee that what I wanted to do was going to be offered to me. Today, with the kind of entertainment platforms available to the audience, opportunities for actors have become less stereotypical. You don’t have to say yes to everything, as opposed to when I was starting off. However, I am proud of how I navigated the whole thing. Right after Slumdog, I had these big budget movie offers, but I went after indie films (Miral, 2010). I am proud of that. I wouldn’t have the respect I get in the industry today had I followed the usual route — do commercial cinema and play the exotic princess in foreign films. I don’t have to do 10,000 big budget movies in a year because the thing I really value is the respect I get when I walk into a room.

Unlike Priyanka Chopra, who was an established actress in India before she left for Hollywood, you were just a film old. Was it easy or difficult for you then to cut into a foreign film industry?
I didn’t have the experience of being a brand before I moved to the West. I can only speak about the experience that I had. The way I did it was more organic. I did not have to rely on a certain image that I had to push forward. I was free to do whatever I wanted and that also gave me the opportunity to do indie films and establish my credibility as an actor. Also, I had people like Tabrez, who were my mentors, supporters and guides. I remember Tabrez telling me when we hadn’t even finished filming Slumdog Millionaire, ‘Your life is about to change’. I had no idea what he was talking about because I thought I was playing a little part in the film. Who knew that little part was going to be widely accepted and loved! Till date, I get called Latika, which is crazy.

Was it scary or unnerving to be thrown into the limelight, overnight?
Freida: No. I was like, fine, I’ll take it! I don’t think I am ever scared of a new experience. I think I am always excited. Even in Love Sonia, Rashmi is the kind of a character that I have never played before, but the nervousness helps me stay motivated and play a character better. My first film did so well and it has given me an opportunity to get different roles and I am having fun.

You have known Tabrez for over 10 years. A film like Love Sonia could go wrong if not executed right. Was he the reason you gave your nod to this film?
Freida: I have been a part of Love Sonia for 10 years. Tabrez was a line producer on Slumdog, and that’s when he started work on this film. So, it was easy for me to be a part of Love Sonia, unlike the rest of the cast. I know the kind of work that Tabrez has been doing. He has been a producer on movies like Life Of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty and Mission Impossible. He is a quality director. He trusts his actors and believes they can bring his characters alive on screen.
Tabrez: The day after we finished Slumdog, we did a test for Love Sonia. When we read the character of Rashmi, we knew Freida would fit in. That character developed because of her. We worked with the NGOs, who rehabilitate trafficked girls and from the beginning, the goal was not to exploit the exploited. We have been able to navigate that line very well.

As a director, how difficult was it to make a feature film on a social issue and not make it look like a documentary?
Tabrez: It’s a story about two sisters that gives a new take on the conventional idea of heroism. A hero can be an ordinary girl, boy or man trapped in extraordinary circumstances. It so happens that the backdrop is of global sex trafficking, but 20 minutes into the movie, and the audience will be more concerned about the journey of a girl for her sister and the love they have for each other. It’s a tough journey, but it’s about hope and courage in the end.

While the West is speaking of #MeToo, equal pay and gender equality, the developing nations have their own set of issues. Was Love Sonia a reminder of that?
Freida: That’s complicated. Each of these worlds have their set of issues and I won’t pick one to be a bigger problem than the other. It’s like saying your sorrows are not as important as mine. I don’t know if there is a methodical way of tackling one problem before the other. The only thing common in all these issues is the mindset. Unless attitudes and behaviours change, these problems won’t go away. How do you solve the problem of a desperate poor farmer, who has to make ends meet? There is a burden on men to provide for their family and that’s when they are forced to do questionable things.

The film revolves around the physical and psychological trauma that women go through. Do you think it’s time, the attitude towards women needs to change?
Freida: Since Love Sonia is also a global film, I would like to shed some light on the inequality that women face around the world. For instance, let’s talk about Serena Williams at the French Open. There was a debate around what she was wearing. A comment was made that was very unsavoury. Why is her outfit a problem, as long as she plays her sport really well? Or even in the US Open, a female tennis player (Alize Cornet) was fined for changing her T-shirt on court, while it was okay for Novak Djokovic to take his shirt off and lay down in the sun because it was hot! These are double standards and they exist across the world. Until our thinking doesn’t change, we are going to have trouble solving these various problems that women face across the world.
Tabrez: There are various problems and if we feel strongly even about one cause, we can bring about a small change.

We haven’t seen you in a commercial Hindi film till date. Of course, things are changing, but was representation of women in most Bollywood films an issue for you?
Freida: Yes, I have been offered Bollywood films before, but some were not worth taking and for the rest, the timing didn’t work. I also feel I haven’t actively put myself out there. Even with Slumdog, who knew it would turn out to be a hit? I have gone where the wind has taken me and I have made the most of it. When Love Sonia came about, I was passionate about the subject from day one. When you watch the film, another myth is going to get busted. I do speak Hindi. Also, as far Hindi films are concerned, I love Gauri Shinde. If she wrote a script that I feel I can do justice to, and it’s made in India, I would love to be a part of it.

How difficult was it to make a film with an ensemble cast and stick to your vision because a difference of opinion is bound to arise?
Tabrez: The bottom line was always the script. The biggest challenge was to get the cast we did in that span of time. I chased Richa Chadha and Manoj Bajpayee. I gave them the script, there was no narration. They added their bit to the characters and we were open to changes. You have to be flexible as a filmmaker, as long as the overall vision stays the same. A movie like this would ideally be released in five to 10 screens five years ago, but things are changing.
Freida: Also, a lot goes into hiring the next big name. Mrunal is amazing in Love Sonia. You have to have the foresight to do that. Imagine if Danny Boyle didn’t have it.

What is it that you want people to take home from your film, Love Sonia?
Tabrez: I want them to be moved, be involved, open their eyes wider and question things. They will walk out seeing the journey of a very powerful woman (Sonia played by Mrunal) especially in this day and age. I want them to know how massive the problem of global human trafficking is. Awareness is important.

R Balki on the stigma attached to menstruation, getting Akshay Kumar to wear a sanitary napkin and convincing Amitabh Bachchan to do a cameo\
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 10, 2018)

Two years after tackling a gender-bender in the Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor-starrer Ki and Ka, filmmaker R Balki returns to the marquee with another unusual subject that strives to bring the stigmatised topic of menstruation into the mainstream. Excerpts from an interview:

After Cheeni Kum, Paa, Ki and Ka, you’re carrying forward the tradition of telling unusual stories with Pad Man...
Tackling subjects that haven’t been touched upon before has always been the biggest motivation for me. Filmmaking is a laborious process. If you have to spend one year on it, it better be something that has never been done before.

In some parts of India, women aren’t allowed to enter temples and even the kitchen when they are menstruating. Will this film help change such obsolete practises?
The film doesn’t preach, it’s an entertainer that talks about beliefs and rituals that have been followed for years without much thought while menstrual hygiene has been ignored. We are creating awareness about that.

Did Twinkle Khanna, who debuts as a producer with the film, offer any inputs?
A film is made by a team of people. Twinkle was the one who first met Arunachalam Muruganantham (the real-life Pad Man) and thought it was a good idea to make a film on him. I had never done a biopic before but I like writing my own stories so I figured I could at least write a script based on the idea. Swanand Kirkire and I have co-written the script.

The script is reportedly inspired by Twinkle’s short story from her book, The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad.
No. Her story and the film are different adaptations of Muruganantham’s life. The story and the script were worked on simultaneously.

Let’s flashback to your first meeting with Arunachalam Muruganantham?
It was hilarious. I wish I could make a seven-hour movie to incorporate all his stories. He told us about his struggles and there were so many lateral thoughts. He’s a very simple man. Akshay spent a lot of time with him too but he didn’t ape Mr Muruganantham’s mannerisms, choosing to interpret his personality in his own way instead. That is Akshay’s remarkable achievement – he’s given it a new feel without losing the spirit of the character.

The trailer shows Akshay trying on a sanitary napkin. It’s very unusual to watch a mainstream hero attempt something like that.
Nobody was willing to try his pads, so Mr Muruganatham decided to do it himself. It’s a part of his story and we had to dramatise it to capture it in its full glory.

What was it like shooting in the small town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh?
It’s beautiful and wonderfully maintained, including the Ahilya fort and Narmada river. It is a worthy role model for other Indian villages and small towns. We wrote the film there and have shot it in the interiors.

Why Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte for the female leads?
People see Sonam as a fashion diva but here she plays a character that is possibly the most difficult one in the film because it demanded tremendous sacrifice in terms of helping the protagonist. Radhika is already known as a great performer and in real life, she’s the opposite of the conservative woman she plays. For her to get into the skin of the character was a revelation. Both Sonam and Akshay bagged National Awards while shooting for this film,. It was the second last day of our shoot and all of us ate a lot as part of the celebrations.

In the film, the protagonist has been put into a North Indian milieu as opposed to the real-life story’s South Indian. Any particular reason behind transplanting the story?
I fictionalised it because it would be difficult to have a South Indian man speak pure Hindi. It would have been equivalent to mocking the language. Pad Man is not about South or North but about a person’s achievements.

Amitabh Bachchan has been a part of all your films. Is a reunion on the cards soon?
He has played a cameo in this film; it is an important part.

Reports claim that Kangana Ranaut will play an amputee in your next that also features Bachchan.
This is all fabricated news. I’m not making any such film.

Back when you made Cheeni Kum, risqué subjects were few and far between. You are still on that brave and bold path.
With these films, especially Pad Man, we are trying to do away with the shame attached to themes like menstruration. But at the same time we are not trying to make it ultra-cool.

You are reportedly producing a film for wife Gauri Shinde with Sridevi in the lead.
That’s also a figment of someone’s imagination. Why would we hide it if it was true? I’m really upset when I read all this.

Pad Man clashes with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavat on Janaury 25. Worried?
Our film was supposed to release on Republic Day from the outset. It’s a free country and if people insist on a particular day, nobody can stop them. However, it is silly to clash in a small industry; there are enough dates for everyone. It’s not the wisest thing for films to clash.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 22, 2017)

As the mild-mannered but resolute Shashi, who was the object of ridicule among her family members because of her inability to communicate in English, Sridevi made a stellar comeback with Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish (2012). Five years down the line, we hear the actor-director duo is ready to team up again for a sequel to the much-loved drama.

A source in the know says, “Sridevi indicated that a collaboration is in the offing when the film completed five years last month. She shared a picture of Gauri and her, and wrote, ‘Coming Soon’. They were supposed to come together for a woman-centric light-hearted comedy earlier, but the story was not fully developed. So they shifted their focus to the sequel.”

While rumours of them reuniting for a sequel had surfaced in 2014, both the ladies had vehemently denied them then. However, over the past five years, the two have maintained that they became great friends during the shoot of English Vinglish and would love to work together again.

The source adds that Sridevi hasn’t green-lit any project after the July release, Mom, and is keeping her date diary free for her project with Shinde. “She takes her time mulling over scripts and selecting them, which is why her second innings has seen only two films, but both of them critically acclaimed at that. She might do a cameo in Janhvi’s debut, but her next project will be with Gauri. The film will kick off sometime early next year.”

In an interview, when we asked Sridevi about the prospect of a sequel, she said, “It’s too early to talk about it. There’s something happening. We will talk about it when things are concrete.”

We texted Shinde, but she remained unavailable for comment till the time of going to press.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 13, 2017)

Boney Kapoor brought in his 62nd birthday at his Chennai residence on Saturday with actress-wife Sridevi micromanaging the party. “It was a special day thanks to my wife. We brought in the birthday with family on the night of November 10, followed by a lunch in the afternoon. In the evening, a group of around 30 close friends from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai joined us and we partied till past 3 am,” informs the filmmaker.

Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, filmmaker couple Gauri Shinde and R Balki, Ravi Udyawar, the director of Sridevi’s last film Mom, Kamal Haasan, Priyadarshan, A R Rahman with wife Saira, designer Manish Malhotra, Zee Entertainment honcho Punit Goenka, businessman Sanjay Reddy with wife Pinky Reddy and politician Amar Singh were also present. “Sri had left two days early and decorated the house with everything I liked, my favourite flowers and colours to the dishes I love, with our cook from Mumbai being flown down to prepare them. She has collected art from all over the world and these were brilliantly showcased. Her sister and my brother-in-law helped her set it up,” says the elated producer.

They sang old songs with Javed and Amar Singh at their vocal best. “I can’t sing but others did. When everyone was crooning “Happy Birthday” Javed saab joked, ‘how can so many besuras sing in front of a maestro like Rahman who didn’t sing himself’. Rahman was wondering how besurars we are,” laughs Boney, adding he was glad Haasan, an old friend who has worked with Sridevi in a number of films, including Sadma, could make it. “She has lost count but Kamal insists they have worked in around 25-26 films. Punit and his wife had an early morning flight but stayed back late.”

Balki was shooting and despite packing up late, took a late flight to Chennai. “My daughter Khushi’s birthday was on November 5 but unfortunately she was away on a school trip then so we celebrated both birthdays and doubled our happiness,” adds an emotional Boney, admitting he received a special gift from Sridevi but refused to divulge details.