Priyanka has always championed the cause of gender equality in cinema, and at MAMI Mumbai film festival 2023, she made an interesting observation. Acknowledging that there has been a change in how people perceive female-led cinema today, she remembered how things were different in the 2000s.

Speaking about her much-acclaimed film Fashion (2008), she revealed, “I am glad the usage of the word ‘parallel cinema’ is slowly declining, and things have changed now. After Krrish (2006) and Aitraaz (2004) happened, which gave me a solid foundation, I started seeking work that could challenge me as an actor. Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion happened at that time.”

Sharing the kind of feedback that she got before agreeing to be a part of Fashion, for which she went on to win the National Award, PC said, “I remember I was told back then, ‘Ladkiya female-oriented films apne career ke end mein karti hai National Awards ke liye. You just did Aitraaz, tumhara career abhi shuru hua hai, why do you want to do Fashion?’ This was in early 2000. People were apprehensive about female-oriented cinema. I wanted to play interesting characters instead of just being a part of big films, and I loved the script of Fashion, so I went ahead with it. I have always loved the work of Sridevi ji and Madhuri Dixit ma’am. Girl crushes forever!”

She added, “When I was younger, I was called difficult and opinionated. I faced problems because I didn’t follow this, ‘iss line pe chalo’ rule. Main apni line banati hoon. I am not a trend-follower, I am a trendsetter. You learn to navigate eventually.”

If a film stands the test of time, you know it’s special. Mira Nair’s illustrious filmography boasts of films that continue to fascinate and move you. Think about Salaam Bombay!, The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, to name a few. Articulate and in-depth, her masterclass at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023 revolved around various crucial topics like cinema crossing borders and not pandering to the West. She also revealed what went behind the making of her initial acclaimed documentaries like So Far from India and India Cabaret, before she moved to fiction filmmaking. Excerpts…

Remembering her documentary ‘India Cabaret’, Nair said, “I wanted to delve into the deep double standards of our patriarchal society where we are quick to judge these women who are strippers. There is a dividing line between the women who are considered proper and those who are outside goodness. It’s to do with sexuality and economics. I didn’t want to work with prostitutes because prostitution is simple to dismiss. I chose the world of dancers. At that time this dance culture was proliferating. I lived with Rekha and Rosy (girls who featured in the docu), in their home at Antop Hill (Mumbai), before I made this documentary. That life, the dark underbelly of Mumbai was extremely bleak, but their spirit was uplifting. Once these girls are off the dance floor, there is a deep sense of modesty. They would cover themselves immediately. I even went to Hyderabad with Rosy when she went to see her ailing mother. The mother took the money and asked her daughter to stay out of the house as she would pollute it with her presence. Life will always be more powerful than fiction.”

She added, “‘So Far from India’, was about a Gujarati man in the US, who was married off in India to a woman called Hansa before he moved to the US. After his son is born, he comes to India but returns to America without taking Hansa along. After watching it, I remember Satyajit Ray telling me, ‘If you would have cast a more attractive woman, he would have taken her back’. (laughs)”

The actress revealed that wanting an audience led her to the world of fiction filmmaking. “I come from Delhi, but Bombay became the subject of my earlier film work because I went and lived in Antop Hill, Bandra chawls. India Cabaret led to Salaam Bombay. I didn’t want actors to play street kids. I remember telling this to Danny Boyle as well when he made Slumdog Millionaire.”

I am not turned on by this portrait of an apologist, third world, we are so poor, kind of cinema. We live in incredibly vibrant places where injustice prevails. I am interested in those layers, juxtaposition of have and have nots. I have rarely entered studios. My life and pulse are the streets. I remember Steven Spielberg asking me, ‘What was the budget of Salaam Bombay! There are so many people in there’. We never compromised on quality even though it was tough to find financiers.

The director is known for telling stories that transcend borders and cultures. She said, “I still have a huge accordion Indian passport, visa dete jao dete jao.. but I deeply understand what it's like to look outside the window in New York City and instead of the Hudson River see my garden in Kampala. Cinema allows you the notion of living between worlds. Always keep your distinctiveness as your calling card. I didn’t want to be a cupcake. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I didn’t want to make romcoms with white people. I was not interested in being in the A list of Hollywood. Salaam Bombay became a smash hit and they thought they could use my sensibility to say their things and I didn’t want that. I was interested in being a brown person and telling stories that only I could tell and that became Mississippi Masala, the hierarchy of colour.”

Nair credits her instinct as her guiding force. She explained, ‘Don’t ever hold back with the actors. The instinct for me is very powerful. I do not give up until I get what I want from my actors. I am not Woody Allen to reshoot movies. Always listen to your intuition and don’t subscribe to what the next person asks of you. Try to steer clear of boredom and nobility. Just telling the stories of the downtrodden doesn’t sell tickets. The downtrodden are never down. They have the greatest spirit of all. Whatever moves you make it come alive.”

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who has headlined films such as Fashion (2008), Saat Khoon Maaf (2011) and Mary Kom (2014), feels that a lot rides on the success of these ‘women-centric’ projects.

Speaking at a film festival in Mumbai on Sunday, the actor said, “There’s a lot of pressure when you have a female-led film because we have so few [of them]. Today, we are seeing successes of such films more and more, but that’s tough [to happen every time], the 41-year-old says, adding, “When a female-led film doesn’t do well, I feel the collective failure on behalf of all women, as if we have taken them a few steps back. I feel like this has to work because there are a few of us who get the opportunity to do this, and we have to do it well... You just think, ‘I won’t let womankind down because we have such few opportunities’.”

Citing the example of Fashion — a film that was appreciated by critics and audiences alike — Priyanka recalled that naysayers had advised her against doing a female-led film in the early stages of her career. The movie, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, turned 15 on Sunday.

“I was told ‘ladkiyan female-oriented films apne career ke end mein karti hain for National Award’. It was like, ‘You have just started, you have done Krrish (2006), Aitraaz (2004) and you are having your moment’. This was in the early 2000s,” she continued, “I liked the script [of Fashion]. We were working on it for six months; it was a passion project. We went to Goa, worked on the character graph of (her character) Meghna Mathur, her emotional and physical journey. All I focused on was immersing myself in this girl. I realised that you need to know your character like she is your best friend, before you walk on the set.”

Priyanka, who won a National Award for the film, went on to reveal that Fashion altered her viewpoint about acting and made her eager to join an acting school. “After this film, I was hungry to learn formal acting. I went to (actor) Naseeruddin Shah sir’s class, I trained for about 10 days with him. Then, I went to (actor) Pankaj Kapur sir, who was my neighbour. I was like, ‘Can you work with me on the script?’ At that time, I was going to do 7 Khoon Maaf with (filmmaker) Vishal Bhardwaj sir. He (Kapur) was like, ‘What work? Every answer you need is in your script. When you do a scene, think about how your character is feeling’.”

Currently based out of Los Angeles with husband, singer Nick Jonas and daughter Malti Marie, Priyanka also spoke about her hopes of building a diverse filmography in Hollywood. The actor, who has worked on projects like Quantico, Baywatch (2017) and The Matrix Resurrections (2021) in the West, shared, “There’s a variety of work that I have done in India, I haven’t achieved that in America. So, I want to expand that.”

An entire screen was jam-packed as cinephiles strived to bag a seat for MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023’s first masterclass that saw Mani Ratnam in conversation with Imtiaz Ali. It was a heart-toheart chat with some savage one-liners from Ratnam. Excerpts from the conversation:

Talking about Dil Se, he said, “Dil Se was made around India’s 50 years of Independence. It was a reminder that not all corners of the country are liberated as one would like to believe. Shah Rukh Khan’s character was not just an All India Radio reporter, he was everyone’s voice.”

Ratnam made Raavan (2010) in two languages at a time, not many attempted to do so. The director, however, admitted that it wasn’t the right decision. “Making Raavan as a bilingual film was a mistake. It was a burden because I was literally making two films at a time, and neither the Hindi nor the Tamil audience could completely relate to it. It was a case of neither here nor there,” he said.

Elaborating on filmmakers’ constant hunt for great stories and subjects, Ratnam explains, “As a storyteller, you realise that you’re a scavenger. Even when tragedy strikes, you’re looking for stories and opportunities. I remember witnessing a blast from a close distance, and the first thing that struck me wasn’t the tragedy alone but even the technique. In films, we show that blasts generally happen from a distance, but that isn’t the case.”

The director, known for his unique vision and extracting the best out of his actors, had an interesting take on teamwork. He revealed, “I don’t want obedience from my actors, I expect contribution. I can always tell you what I want, but what more can you bring to the table? I like actors who give you that little more.” When asked what happens in case of a massive difference of opinion, Ratnam teased, “Then I tell them who’s the boss (laughs)!” Citing examples, he said, “Shah Rukh Khan and Rajinikanth often joked about this. They would say, ‘We can tell you what we feel, but you won’t accept it. This is your film, isn’t it?’”

Despite having made acclaimed films, the director feels that there is still an element of self-doubt. He revealed, “Sometimes I wonder if I am a one-trick pony. I always thought of myself as a fraud director. When I did my first film, I didn’t know how to shoot. I had to pretend that I knew. I remember Kamal Haasan telling me this when I pitched my first film to him. He said, ‘Don’t aim at the heart, aim at the gut and you will make it.’ Haasan suggested that I need to make something that a lot of people can identify with, and how you communicate with the audience is important.”

Ratnam says, “My assistant directors don’t hesitate to tell me if something doesn’t thrill them. The day they find mistakes in my work, I know they are potential filmmakers. I used to criticise films when I didn’t even know how to make one. Finding fault is important. As an audience, I am evolved. As a filmmaker, I am not! There is nothing in this art form that can be called perfect. I don’t watch my films after they are released. I can’t take it. I only see the errors and I cringe.”

By now, Roshan Mathew is accustomed to his films going to international festivals. Weeks after his relationship drama Paradise won accolades at Busan International Film Festival, it is set to première at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Mathew remembers instinctively being drawn to the Malayalam-Sinhala-English film, but he also had a concern.

“I liked the script, but to me, it also felt similar to the couple’s story in my Hindi debut, Choked [2020]. There are no [striking] similarities, except that both films explored the differences between a couple. But I liked the script so much that I wanted to do it anyway,” says the actor.

A meeting with revered Sri Lankan director Prassana Vithanage was all it took to assuage his concerns. “I realized he was intending to do something so different from what I was thinking that all of my concerns were invalid. He wanted to explore the relationship between this couple and the land they end up in.”

Mathew will follow up Paradise with the Hindi offering, Ulajh. The actor, who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, is finding his feet in Hindi movies with Choked, Darlings (2022) and the upcoming Janhvi Kapoor and Gulshan Devaiah-starrer. The choice to work across languages brings with it the opportunity to collaborate with diverse actors and tell varied stories.

“Ulajh moves at a pace that I haven’t explored before; it is an out-and-out commercial film. Gulshan is an actor, who has inspired me with several of his characters. So, I was excited about him being there. Jahnvi is a dedicated, hardworking and passionate co-actor. She was extremely prepared. It’s lovely when you know your co-actor has one priority and that is to get the best version of the scene on that day.”

While working on Bollywood projects, it hasn’t escaped him how Hindi-speaking viewers have warmed up to Malayalam cinema. “Every time I am on the set of a Hindi project, lots of people walk up to me and instantly start talking about the Malayalam films that they have watched. It’s a great feeling. Malayalam cinema is in a great phase right now,” says the actor, who has featured in acclaimed Malayalam films like Kappela, Moothon, and C U Soon.

Following its world première at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023, Wendy Bednarz’s directorial debut film, Yellow Bus, is set for its Asia première on November 2 at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023. The Tannishtha Chatterjee and Amit Sial-starrer explores the themes of loss, betrayal, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit after emotionally processing a life-changing loss.

Set against the backdrop of the Middle East, Yellow Bus follows the story of a hopeful migrant mother, Ananda (played by Chatterjee), who is shattered by a tragic life-turning incident. In search of the truth behind her daughter’s death, Ananda grapples with pain and the emotional turmoil faced by migrants who move to foreign lands with aspirations of a better life.

Speaking of the Asia première, Bednarz said, “The story is a heartfelt exploration of the human experience and a mother’s worst nightmare as she fights for justice in a foreign land and learns to forgive those whom she holds accountable, including herself. I am grateful to producers Nadia Eliewat and Guneet Monga Kapoor for empowering Yellow Bus with a platform and Tannishtha, whose riveting performance captures a mother’s pain with grace and sensitivity.”

Admitting that it was hard to step into the shoes of Ananda, Chatterjee said, “Giving voice to this woman’s struggle of being unheard, especially in an environment that doesn’t favour her, was an emotional journey. Women are often left to struggle with unprecedented situations. I am glad that I could be part of this film that showcases a plethora of emotions in such a nuanced way.”

Heaping praise on the director’s vision, Sial added, “It was a privilege working with my wonderful writer-director, Wendy, who so beautifully crafted the emotions in us, day by day.”

The film is a collaborative effort between Indian, Jordanian, Emirati, and American production houses, including Screen Project, Metatron Productions, OSN, Creative Venture, Sikhya Entertainment, and Ta Films.

Two movies a year—that is Sonam Kapoor Ahuja’s mantra as she returned to films with Blind this year after embracing motherhood. That said, she is ensuring her contribution to movies goes beyond her acting projects. She has been appointed the ambassador for the Word to Screen initiative at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023, which is organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image and will be held from October 27 to November 5.

Kapoor is known to be an avid reader. Couple that with her 16-year acting career, and she is the perfect choice to represent the initiative that explores the intersection of books and cinema. Launched in 2016, Word to Screen Market has since offered a platform to writers, publishers, and filmmakers to engage and create book adaptations.

Kapoor, who has fronted some adaptations, including her debut film Saawariya (2007), understands how some of the finest stories lend themselves well to celluloid.

“By supporting this platform, I am taking a step towards ensuring that we tell more meaningful stories to our audience. As a voracious reader, I understand how a well-written book can form the backbone of a compelling film narrative,” she says. This year, the festival will return to its on-ground edition after a three-year break due to the pandemic.