Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 24, 2019)

While he has written about 20 films in his 15-year-long career, the label of being an expert with double-entendre comedy seems to have become his identity. Even as he wrote hit commercial films on various subjects for top directors, he had to wait for five years to make his debut as a director. In a chat with BT, Tushar Hiranandani talks about why he wrote sex comedies and why he chose a subject like Saand Ki Aankh for his first outing as a director. Excerpts...

It has taken you 15 years and about 20 films as a writer before landing your first project as a director. That must have been a long wait, right?
I always wanted to direct. In fact, I started assisting director Inder Kumar just to realise that dream. But back in the day, it felt like films are only made with stars, and assistants weren’t as close to them as writers. So, I wrote Masti (2004) without letting Inder sir know. Over the years, I would write stories thinking I would direct them, but would chicken out at the last minute. Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010) was supposed to be my directorial debut, but I handed it over to Milap Milan Zaveri. I continued to find stories for others, but nothing that I wanted to go all out and direct. At the time I got to know about Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, my wife Nidhi and I were planning to quit, whereas these women became sharp-shooters at the age of 60 (Saand Ki Aankh is based on Chandro and Prakashi, who are considered to be among the oldest sharpshooters in the world). They turned a new leaf for the sake of their daughters. Prakashi’s daughter Seema became the first Indian girl to win a silver medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup. Today, nearly all the girls in the Tomar family have joined the police or the armed forces.

When you decided to make the film six years ago, the grammar of cinema was different from what you wanted to attempt. Did you feel that it was too much of a risk?
Tell me about it! This film revolves around two sixty-plus women. To top it, I, the writer of films like Masti, wanted to direct it. People thought that I had lost it. It’s destiny that this film found supporters, and today, it is ready for release. It was writer Sanjay Massoom, who put me in touch with the Tomar daadis. From that point, things began to fall in place. The first woman to support me on this film was my wife. She would never have supported me on Masti, but she went all out for Saand Ki Aankh. She even became one of the producers. Anurag (Kashyap) also continued to encourage me.

Do you think it was difficult for people to believe in your ability to handle a subject like Saand Ki Aankh because of the vulgar comedies you wrote earlier?
A lot of people think that Milap and I are some kind of perverts. People only see the beginning and the middle of the film. At the end of every Masti installment, we’ve shown the guys repenting for straying and getting punished. I have had to fight to include it in the script. When you’re starting out, you grab everything that comes your way without thinking much. After Masti, I wrote films like ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013) and Ek Villain (2014), too. But Masti was such a shocker of a first film that people labelled me with it. I hope Saand Ki Aankh changes that.

Do you regret the sex comedies you wrote?
I wrote sex comedies because they came to me. I had expenses to meet. Also, I enjoyed writing them, so there are no regrets. But I’ve matured now and I am doing different things. You know, even sex comedies or comedies around sex are being made differently today. Made In China, for instance, is a sex comedy, too. It offers a great take on sex and I am happy that today, people are curating films in such a way.

Saand Ki Aankh opens on Diwali with Housefull 4 and Made In China. Does the box office clash worry you?
Today, any well-made film runs at the box office. The producers backing my film are confident about it. What else can I ask for? If it’s a bad film, it will be rejected even if it releases solo. So, there’s no point fretting. I am just happy that my film is releasing, it has taken me 20 years to become a filmmaker.

Anurag Kashyap has been involved with this film since its inception. Was he ever tempted to take over as the director?
Anurag came on the set just once. He let me fly with the film, without making me change anything about it. He gave me confidence and there is nothing bigger than that. In fact, he was the one who pushed me to direct. When many people didn’t understand the title of the film, he backed me on it.

Your film has Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pedenkar in lead roles. Heroines are perceived to be insecure, especially when it comes to sharing screen space with another equally powerful actress. Did you sense that while working on this film?
Taapsee and Bhumi are like chalk and cheese. The only difference is that they complement each other and are similar to the women they play. They gave each other a lot of space. The team used to place bets saying, ‘Aaj to jhagda hoga’, but they didn’t fight. They didn’t ask us to change anything about the script or the division of scenes.

You started your career in the movies as a writer, the film industry has changed quite a bit over the years, with writers being well-acknowledged for their contribution to cinema. Would you say that it’s still the most underpaying field in the movie making business?
Writers are underpaid and undervalued. No one wants to know them, but it’s their content that sets everything up. If we don’t help them get their due, how will they ever get it? It’s like you love the granite in the building, but don’t thank the pillar for keeping it together. I’m glad that writers are finally getting their names on film posters now. Things are changing, but they could be better.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 16, 2019)

In about four years of making her debut, Bhumi Pednekar has been stereotyped, but not in a way that she minds. The actress has increasingly played roles that belong to small-town-India in Sonchiriya, Toilet — Ek Prem Katha, Shubh Mangal Savadhan and Dum Laga Ke Haisha. And moving forward, her kitty is brimming with films like Bala, Pati Patni Aur Woh and Saand Ki Aankh in which she plays characters from the interiors of India. In a conversation with BT, Bhumi talks about her Haryanvi lineage, her insecurities, fears and a special friend who she is being linked to. Excerpts:

At 30 something, your decision to play 65-year-old Chandro Tomar in Saand Ki Aankh has become a point of conversation on social media. Your thoughts?
When it comes to films, people are entitled to an opinion, and it’s fine. I don’t necessarily have to agree with what everyone says. If a great character, irrespective of her age, comes my way, and I like it, I will take it up. I won’t shy away from it just because someone has an opinion different from mine.

You often get attacked on social media for your posts. Do you ever feel the need to react to them?
I don’t even read most of them, forget about reacting to them. I post a lot of things on a variety of subjects, but I don’t bother with the reactions. The only time I make an exception is when I write something about climate change. People write the dirtiest comments on those posts and I read each one of them. I don’t let them affect me. Strangely, I get trolled every day for my posts on climate conservation. Few would know that I’m very passionate about this subject and I have also started something on my own for this cause. But each time I post something, people write nasty comments. I have never understood why!

In an interview, you said, ‘I was meant to be an actress. I didn’t become one by accident.’ After toiling hard to make it to the silver screen, you’ve not adhered to a single industry norm. And yet, you’re in a space where you have one film releasing every month, for the next few months. There’s a game-plan at work, right?
I can just say that it’s not easy, but it’s fulfilling. I’m just four years old in this business, out of which I spent one year knocking off the weight I had piled on for my debut film. While Sonchiriya didn’t do well for the producers, it did wonders for me. I was appreciated and the eight-month-long prep paid off. I’ve landed myself a chance to work with directors like Abhishek Chaubey, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Mudassar Aziz, Amar Kaushik and Tushar Hiranandani in the last one year or so. By the end of this year, I will be eight films down. I have the backing of some amazing directors; what else do I need as an actor to survive?

But why have you not consciously tried to break away from the small-town-girl stereotype?
I just seek good roles. It doesn’t matter where they belong. I don’t mind becoming the face of small-town, rural India, because it’s home to such beautiful stories. In this year alone, I’ve gone from playing an urban 19-year-old in one film, to a girl of my own age from Lucknow in another, and a 65-year-old woman from a village Saandh Ki Aankh. I’ve played a woman of every age this year. I indulge in the craft of being an artiste, so, I don’t have a reason to be insecure. God has been kinder to me than most people, who have had to wait for longer to get that one ounce of success. I had some amazing films coming my way right from the word go and it all happened quite fast. I got that appreciation that everyone yearns for. The momentum in my career right now is something else and I have worked hard to get it. It really didn’t happen by chance. I am not saying that I don’t want to break the stereotype you are talking about, but the role has to be good enough. I won’t give the nod to a role for the heck of it. In today’s day and age, artistes anyway have enough avenues to display their real selves to the audience, so there’s no stress as such.

What drew you to play the 65-year-old sharp shooter, Chandro Tomar, in Saand Ki Aankh?
When director Tushar Hiranandani narrated the film to me, I wondered what he wanted me to play. There’s very little about Chandro and Prakashi daadis’ youth in the film. He told me that he wants me to play Chandro Tomar throughout the film. I felt it’s a chance of a lifetime to play someone who has had such an inspiring journey. It’s an endearing story about two grannies who, after living their life behind a veil in Johri Bagpath, decided to become sharp shooters at 65. They broke the shackles of patriarchy for their daughters and grand-daughters. They’ve uplifted some 50,000 children by now. Their life and journey prove that merit can take you places at any age. This could have become a dark, intense film about social imbalance, but the writers made sure it’s not. These women didn’t suffer violence or oppression. It was a matter of fact for them that women are given lesser importance than men. These daadis accepted social inequality as their way of life. Meri naani ne woh sab dekha hai; these women don’t even realise if they have their own dreams and aspirations. Things began to change with my mother’s generation because my grand-dad was in the army. My mother led a different life.

You trained in shooting a gun. There are also videos that show how Taapsee Pannu and you spent time with Prakashi and Chandro. Apart from the prosthetic make-up, how challenging was the prep?
Prakashi and Chandro daadi are so different. Taapsee and I fit their parts well because coincidentally, we’re like them in a lot of ways. Chandro daadi thinks a lot before acting on something, and Prakashi, acts on impulse. Taapsee and I are like that in real life. We picked up the spirit of leading life from them. At times, Taapsee and I spent time with the daadis together and sometimes, we met them alone, too. I knew of them. They belong to the region my mother comes from. I saw a lot of their videos and spent time with them before playing the part.

You’ve never really spoken about your Haryanvi lineage...
Actually, playing Chandro daadi is a tribute to my granny. I have put so much of her in this character, apart from real character references. Recently, I saw the film with my family, and my mom told me that she could see my naani in me. My naani was a lot like Chandro dadi — strong, intelligent, witty and funny. If you look at grandparents, after an age, they become so pure and cleansed. I felt that purity at this age; it’s a rare experience. I am a half-Maharashtrian and half-Haryanvi, and that is the reason I felt more pressure while playing the role. I don’t know the language and my mother is a theth Haryanvi, who is very proud of her roots. Playing roles that belong to your lineage can be very difficult. I couldn’t go wrong with the language, although it’s Hindi-laced in the film.

When you make decisions like playing a character twice your age, do you fear that this could be a professional risk?
Of course, I was scared. When I was signing up for Saand Ki Aankh, I was told that I was making a mistake and it’s a silly choice. I plunged into the film with my gut instinct. How often do you get a chance to play such characters? I am glad that I always land a role which is different from the herd. I understand that people who advise you against a film also have your best interest at heart, but Sonchiriya taught me that when you make a decision, stick to it and own up to the outcome. The hit-flop aspect stops affecting you and you move on. Today, for a filmmaker, talent is more valuable than anything else. In the last eighteen months or so, I’ve switched between so many characters that at one point, I had forgotten what I really look like. I had bouts of sickness and fatigue, but I didn’t want to stop, and I didn’t, because it would have annoyed me a lot. I’m not scared to try something new and challenging where my prep is far more than chopping my locks.

You’ve not been home for more than a month this year. But rumour has it that you’ve been seen hanging out with actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani in the city, and there’s something more to this than meets the eye...
I don’t react to such things because there is no truth to it. I have read the most bizarre things about my whereabouts. Often, I’ve not been in Mumbai and I’ve still been spotted in the city, hanging out with someone or coming out of someone else’s car. It’s so random and bizarre. If there is fodder for speculation, I can understand, but baseless stories are beyond me. I have known Jackky from before I became an actress. We go back 10 years. I can’t ruin my friendship over short-lived gossip. It’s a rare, beautiful friendship. So, whenever I read something stupid, I just speak to him about it and move on.

So, there’s no time to fall in love?
I have to tell my mother to find me a boy because I don’t have the time for it. I don’t miss being in a relationship right now. Actually, I don’t have the bandwidth to invest in another human relationship. The ones in my life are enough to keep me happy.

Tushar Hiranandani, director of Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar-starrer, on Diwali clash with two biggies and casting the actresses as octogenarians
Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 15, 2019)

As a writer, you’ve worked on films like Masti, Double Dhamaal, Housefull and Ek Villain. But your directorial debut, Saand Ki Aankh, belongs to a completely different genre.
When you see the film, it is very commercial; it has dialogue, emotion, it’s got its fun moments. I’ve made it the way I’ve always written my films.

Tell us a little about bringing the story of the Revolver Dadis, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, to the screen.
There were a lot of roadblocks, it took five years to release the film (from the time it was conceived). Anurag Kashyap, would tell me whenever we met, “Become a director” and I would think he was just trying to cut out one writer from the industry as he didn’t like the films I write. When he heard that I was doing this film, he came on board as one of the producers. Casting took a long time, but I couldn’t have asked for better actresses than Taapsee (Pannu) and Bhumi (Pednekar).

What was your brief for them?
The dadis are so much fun and so full of energy. That’s why I wanted to shoot the film in Johri, so Taapsee and Bhumi would meet them every day. My brief was to just imitate the dadis and to enjoy themselves.

There was a debate online (after Neena Gupta pointed it out) about casting age-appropriate actors in the film, which is about two octogenarians...
We did try that, but it didn’t work out for reasons I don’t want to get into. But Nargis ji did Mother India, one of my favourite films, in the prime of her career. It was the story of a woman from a young bride to an old matriarch. In my film also, which has Bhumi watching Mother India during her introduction scene, the story starts when the protagonists are 16 and goes on till they are 60. In hindsight, it was a good decision as it has become the biggest talking point of the film.

How involved was Anurag Kashyap?
He gave me one scene to add, which he had written, and it made a lot of difference in the pre-climax. He is the kind of a guy who throws you in the water and you have to start swimming on your own. He is the best producer one can find.

Are there apprehensions about coming out with your film on the same day as the star-studded Housefull 4 and the quirky comedy Made in China, the other two Diwali releases?
Every film has its own life and space. All three films should do well and it should be a happy Diwali for everyone. In fact, I am one of the writers of Housefull 4. Sajid bhai (Nadiadwala, producer) recently messaged me, saying, “Congratulations, this Diwali belongs to you; both the films are yours”.

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 12, 2019)

Taapsee Pannu is known for taking on roles that push her limits. And roles that definitely break stereotypes of female characters on screen — whether it is playing the freespirited, feisty Rumi in Manmarziyaan or the edgy and manipulative businesswoman in Badla, she is fearless on screen. Off-screen, too. No wonder, she convincingly steps into the role of a woman in her sixties and gives it her all. Whether it is learning the local dialect or living the rural life for real, Taapsee goes all out to do justice to every courageous role she picks. In an interview with BT, the actress talks about the time she spent with sharpshooter Prakashi Tomar (who she is portraying on screen in Saand Ki Aankh), her prep for the role and why she’s glad she took a shot at this, in spite of all odds. Read on...

For Saand Ki Aankh, not only did you have to train to play a sharpshooter, but you also took on the daunting task of stepping into the shoes of Prakashi Tomar, who is much older than you. Was the prep for this movie the toughest so far?
This film is critical for Bhumi (Pednekar) and me, and is one of the most challenging films of our careers. We knew this was going to be an aar ya paar kind of scenario. Either people will laugh at us, or remember us for years. Having said that, hum fail bhi huye toh kya hua, at least, mehnat toh ki.

How did you transform yourself into Prakashi Tomar?
When I came on board, I thought I should focus on learning to shoot first, since my character is of that of a sharpshooter. Also, since childhood, I was extremely bad at games that had anything to do with aiming at a target, like darts. Forget hitting the bull's eye, my dart wouldn’t even come anywhere close to the board (laughs!). While I took the time to learn, Bhumi was good at it. As the training progressed, I realised that shooting was probably the easiest of things to learn to get into Prakashi’s shoes. There is a lot more to her personality than the sport she plays. The difficult part was to blend into the village lifestyle. These women (Prakashi and Chandro) had never stepped out of their village before they started shooting. They were always in a ghungat, dressed in ghagra and oodhni, and doing household chores. It took Bhumi and me some time to learn to manage the ghagra. Apart from the costumes, we had to learn to do house chores like milking of the cows, making makkhan and cutting the hay. Since my character owns a family business of making bricks, we also had to learn to pile up a set of bricks and then balance it on our heads.

There was also another challenge — to get their dialect correct, right?
We had to bridge the gap between khadi boli and Hindi. Khadi boli is the local dialect spoken by people from western UP. It is not Haryanvi, but a crossover between Hindi and Haryanvi. Though I trained for it in Mumbai, my language improved only when I went to Johri (Uttar Pradesh) when I interacted with the locals. This is exactly how I used to prep myself for my south projects, too. What also helped me was that I stayed with Chandro dadi in her house in UP.

Did you enjoy living the rural life?
I stayed at Chandro dadi’s home for over a month during the shooting. Both the dadis live next to each other. Chandro dadi was very sweet, and she moved out of her own room to accommodate me. The medals and trophies she had won adorned her room, and I used to wake up and see those. Throughout my stay, she ensured that I was being taken care of very well. A bucket of hot water would be ready for my bath every morning, as well as when I returned home in the evening. Considering I love ghee, they would get me a lot of homemade fresh makkhan. Not only the family, but people from the neighbourhood, too, would get food for me. My breakfast used to come from one house, lunch from the other and dinner from a third home. For a few weeks, my mom also came and stayed with me. She used to come on the sets for only a few minutes and then leave early to spend maximum time with the dadis. In fact, she is still in touch with them.

There has been heavy use of prosthetics in the movie, take us through the process of how they turned you into a 60-year-old?
That was a very time-consuming process. It took us three hours to look like our characters. The process of prosthetics tested my patience. I can't sit in one place for a long time as I am extremely restless. So here I was, on the sets, and sitting for three hours every day for a span of 50 days to get ready for the shoot. They used to pull my facial skin and put latex on. It would take some time to dry. It’s like some surgery happening on your face every day. Not only this, we were given fake breasts to wear as we played older women. We used to keep all this on for 10-12 hours a day. It took time to get used to it. Removing prosthetics at the end of the shoot would take one whole hour.

The film was apparently first offered to Kangana Ranaut. She turned it down and then, you came on board. Is that correct?
The makers must have gone to Kangana for this role; actually, they went to half the industry as they received bizarre reasons (from actresses who turned down the project). As far as I am concerned, the makers never approached me. When I got to know that such a film was being planned, I personally reached out to them. I have no shame in admitting that. I told them that I wanted to do it. Meanwhile, it took us two years to find the parallel female lead.

With Bhumi and you playing the 60-year-olds, it has sparked a conversation online about how a slightly older actor could have been cast for the part.
Yes, Taapsee and Bhumi are not 60 years old, agreed, but then what is an actor’s job? If I have to portray myself on-screen in every film then I should stop calling myself an actor. I should just be a Taapsee Pannu in every film. That way, the role of every 30-year-old Delhi girl or a sardarni, should be played by me. If I am an actor, then it is my job to transform myself in every film. Therefore, I feel it is a completely stupid debate that is going on. I feel sad when it comes from other actors. Frankly speaking, it is a role that you can kill for. I am happy I did it.

BOMBAY TIMES (October 9, 2019)

The trailer of director Tushar Hiranandani’s Saand Ki Aankh, starring Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, has already piqued the viewers’ interest. Recently, a special screening of the film was held for the Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu, and his family — wife, daughter and granddaughter — at their house in Delhi.

Later, the Vice President tweeted his appreciation along with some pictures. He posted, “Watched movie, Saand Ki Aankh with actors Ms. Taapsee Pannu, Ms. Bhumi Pednekar, Director Tushar Hiranandani & crew at Upa Rashtrapati Bhawan today. The inspirational movie is based on real-life story of sharpshooters Chandro Tomar & Prakashi Tomar (sic).” Praising the film, he added, “Conveyed my best wishes to the entire team of Saand Ki Aankh. The movie realistically depicted the manner in which the two sharp-shooters overcame all odds and became symbols of women empowerment (sic).”

About the experience of meeting with the Vice President and his family, Taapsee says, “The Vice President’s wife, Usha ji, had a heartwarming conversation with Bhumi and me. She was very encouraging and said that we should continue doing such films.”

Bhumi adds, “It was a great honour for us to be present there. They had only good things to say about the film, and it boosted our morale.”

Saand Ki Aankh is based on Prakashi Tomar and her sister-in-law Chandro Tomar, considered to be two of the oldest sharpshooters in the world.

Present at the screening were director Tushar Hiranandani, producer Shibasish Sarkar, Bhumi and Taapsee, Chandro and Prakashi (popularly known as the Revolver Dadis), Shefali Tomar (Chandro’s granddaughter) and Seema Tomar (Prakashi’s daughter). Seema is also the first Indian sharpshooter to win at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup.

Tushar says, “The Vice President appreciated the film, and it was a big encouragement for all of us.”

Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, shares, “It was a great experience showing the film to the Vice President. His response means a great deal to us.”

Saand Ki Aankh, presented by Reliance Entertainment and Anurag Kashyap in association with Chalk And Cheese Films, is produced by Reliance Entertainment, Anurag Kashyap and Nidhi Parmar. It releases this Diwali.

Taapsee Pannu on why she’s never linked with her co-stars and how she hopes to start a trend of a women-led festival release
Ankita Charuasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 5, 2019)

Saand Ki Aankh is your first Diwali release. Feeling the heat?
Irrespective of the outcome, Bhumi (Pednekar) and I have decided to enjoy the last 20 days to the release. Yes, there’s a lot of pressure since this is the first time that we’ve been entrusted with such a big responsibility but it’s an auspicious time. We kickstarted promotions during Navratri and our film opens on Lakshmi pooja. It was necessary to take the first step towards a women-led festival release and I hope it starts a trend.

So, you and Bhumi are being trendsetters, like the women you play onscreen…
Yes, the Tomars, Chandro and Prakashi, were raised to be docile, homely women, who, for most of their lives, hid behind the ‘ghoonghat’, within the four walls of their home, letting their father, husband and sons decide for them. For them to step out, pick up a gun and hit the bullseye is a statement in itself. Their spunk adds humour to the film because they never viewed life as a struggle, not once do you feel sorry for them. If their story doesn’t inspire us, what will?

What was your first reaction to the script?
I was thinking about my mother who has never lived for herself and now that her daughters are settled and she’s turned 60, she doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t even have hobbies. This film is for women like her who think they are too old to start something new. It’s for their families to realise that they chose to dedicate their lives to them, it was not a given.

You seemed quite at home in the Tomars’ village?
My summer vacations were spent in a village in Punjab and I was completely at home. And our stay there was more luxurious than any five-star with buckets of hot water for me to wash up after shooting and everything served with freshly churned butter. My mom, who had never visited a film set before, stayed with me for two weeks and now she and the daadis are chatting and exchanging recipes on Whatsapp all day.

Have you watched the film?
I didn’t want to watch it on the editing table but Anurag (Kashyap, producer) did and called to say he had bawled all through, yet, come out of the screening with a smile on his face. That’s everyone’s reaction.

Veteran actors Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan had a problem with Bhumi and you playing the daadis...
(Laughs) I’m used to controversies now. Maybe the trailer was so good, they wanted to do the film themselves. But I know I can play a person of any age and gender, race or sexual orientation—that’s what ‘acting’ is about. If my performance is not up to mark, you can criticise me, else it’s a lame conversation.

But just how difficult was it growing into an old woman?
Tushar (Hiranandani, director) was clear he didn’t want silicon prosthetics as it restricts facial movements and expressions. So, we went with special effects make-up, using latex which takes three hours to put on and is difficult to shoot in as even a drop of sweat ruins it. March was comfortable, but April was a nightmare. For a scene where the dadis go, “Smile now, dikha bateesi”, I had to do my makeup thrice, that’s five to six hours.

Also, ‘ghagra’ and ‘odhani’ is like a second skin for the daadis, but we had to practise for days before the shoot. I’d look at my mother and ask myself how she would have done it. This is a performance people could remember for years or laugh at. The highs made it a risk worth taking. When you challenge yourself, it helps you grow.

Anurag recently warned you about how difficult his upcoming horror film will be…
(Laughs) Yeah, I’m worried he’ll put me in minus five degrees and expect me to emote with a frozen jaw. If he chooses a chilly destination, I’ll need silicone to keep my face warm. (Laughs) But with directors like Anubhav (Sinha) and Anurag, I know I’m in good hands.

Anubhav’s Thappad is nearing completion. How’s that been?
I’ve consciously chosen characters that challenge the patriarchy. For this one, I had to tone down my firebrand image, look docile which was a bigger challenge than looking old. I chose to play Amrita, a middle-class girl whose father is a professor and mother a housewife, and who wants to be a good wife but things don’t go as planned and she finds herself questioning her decisions. She makes an impact without ranting and I had to make sure the go-getter Taapsee didn’t intervene. I could have opted for two other characters who were more me, but I change things a bit for my own sanity. Plus, the issues in Thappad are personal and every woman is going to identify with at least one of the characters. It’s a letter I wanted to write to other women.

Judwaa 2, Mission Mangal, Saand Ki Aankh and now Thappad… Is working with other actresses easy?
There have been times when actresses have backed out at the last minute because it was a two-woman project and left me fuming. Thankfully, there are others secure enough to share screen space. As women, we should be there for each other.

Would you do a Judwaa 2 again?
I’ve never said no to glamorous roles, you might see me in one next year itself. But it will have to have substance. Fortunately, the lines between content-driven and commercial cinema are blurring.

You’re never linked-up with your co-stars. What’s the trick?
(Laughs) As Vicky Kaushal says, I have been friend-zoned by the media.

So, who’s that special someone?
When I get married, I’ll tell the world. But since he’s not an actor, I don’t see any reason to speak about him. For now, my work is making headlines, no one needs to know about my personal life.

All work and no play then?
My vacations are my therapy. I hope to take off again in November after I wrap up my Tamil film.

Finally, tell us about your Kutchi athlete, Rashmi Rocket…
She is not based on any one person but borrows from different sprinters from around the world. It was Akarsh Khurana’s (director) idea to base the girl out of Kutch before taking her to the world stage. The place has a strong culture and its beauty is striking. I start prep, building an athlete’s physique, this month and we roll in January.

Bhumi Pednekar on things that have changed since her debut and what made her take up the role of a character in her next that is twice her age
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 3, 2019)

The first thing that strikes you about Bhumi Pednekar is that she’s a complete contrast to the rooted-in-the-heartland characters she’s played. She admits that it’s a challenge for someone born and brought up in Mumbai. “Playing an urban city girl is like makkhan,” she quips, as she gears up for another small-town outing. Chandro Tomar from Baghpat, her character in Saand Ki Aankh, with sister-inlaw Prakashi, holds the record for being the world’s oldest women sharpshooters. That prompts the first query:

Had you heard of the Revolver Daadis before the film came to you?
I know of them as my mother is from Haryana and when they started shooting in ’97, they took a lot of people by surprise. The first time I saw them was on Aamir Khan’s chat show, Satyamev Jayate, and their story was inspiring. They had literally lived under the veil for around 60 years, had 40 children amongst them in a family of 80, toiled in the fields, in brickworks, made dung cakes and taken care of the kids. Then, they had stepped out of their comfort zone to take part in a competition sport which pitted them against retired police commissioners and army officers. Phew!

What’s the first thing that struck you when you were offered the film?
That a story like this can get into the rona-dhona zone. But I quickly discovered that despite living under patriarchy, Chandro and Prakashi are women who had led happy, fulfilled lives. The change happened because they didn’t want their granddaughters to have the same lives. Their achievements show us it’s never too late to pursue dreams.

Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan believe older actresses should have played these characters...
Casting is the filmmaker’s prerogative, and while I respect the opinions of Neena ji and Soni ji and those on the social media, I hope they will change their minds once they see the film. For me, playing Chandro daadi, who’s double my age, was the opportunity of a lifetime. Our stalwarts are the legends they are today because they took on such challenges.

What traits of the feisty daadi have you incorporated?
Chandro daadi is an intelligent woman who learnt English from listening to people around her. She doesn’t snap back during an argument but her response is a lesson in itself. While playing her, I also channelised my own naani, a Haryanvi Jat. The way they talk and walk, their habits and strengths are alike. I lost my nana on the day of the trailer launch; this film is my tribute to my grandparents who, having seen life, know it’s pointless to stress.

The daadis started shooting at 60, what would you do at that age?
I’ll serve humanity in some way. Age is just a number, life and change begins when you want it to. The daadis are 87 today and tireless, be it on the social media or at events. I’ve never heard them say they are tired. I want to celebrate life in the same way.

For your debut film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, you’d put on 30 kg. Would you take up the challenge today?
No, I wouldn’t put on so much weight because I don’t have the time to knock it off. It took me a year to gain weight for Dum Laga Ke Haisha and another year to lose it. Logistically, I can’t do that now, but for SKA, I did add on 10 kilos to look convincing as an old woman.

Are you worried about gaining weight?
I’m very health conscious, it took a lot of hard work to shed the weight I’d put on for this film, more so because 10 days after I wrapped up Saand Ki Aankh I began filming Bala. Fortunately, all the goodies the daadis treated us to were organic, there’s no milavat in their lives. 

Revolver Dadi Prakashi (left) and Shooter Dadi Chandro Tomar

In their first-ever in-depth interview, the Tomar sisters, whose biopic will be out soon, speak about how they shot bull's eye at first attempt, how they were mocked and overcame all odds
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 25, 2019)

I was surviving on four hours of sleep and strong black coffee while making the cumbersome journey to a Malad hotel for this interview. But it was well worth the effort. Welcomed by the bounciest 80-year-old I could ever come across, the meeting was, in every way, an uplifting one. Prakashi Tomar, one half of the Shooter Dadi duo touted as the world's oldest sharpshooters, greeted us with the cheeriest namaste.

"I had gone to enrol my granddaughter for a sharp shooting class at a local range. It is there that I learnt the magic of shooting; how to load a gun, and shoot. One day on a whim, I wanted to try it out, and I hit the bull's eye with the first shot," starts off Prakashi with an unmistakeable beam on her face.

The story of Prakashi and sister-in-law Chandro Tomar — touted as the world's oldest women sharpshooters — is surreal. The muses of Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar's upcoming film, Saandh Ki Aankh, picked up the ropes of shooting effortlessly. It came to them naturally. "Having worked on farms, we were physically strong. We would grind gehu by hand in a chakki. Our wrist and arms were stronger than we knew," Prakashi says.

The duo shot to fame following an episode of Satyamev Jayate, after being invited by host Aamir Khan. After that, interview offers kept pouring in for the unlikely shooters. Chandro, who is ailing from a broken hip injury sustained two weeks ago, tells us over a phone call, "People would laugh at us. We were two old hags who had taken to a sport that is not even [popular] in our part of the world. Local women would mock us saying we are preparing for [the] Kargil [war]. But we found support in our children. Our sons have been our pillars of strength. They supported us emotionally, as well as with monetary requirements." Did they find support in their husbands? "No. Not a single day."

Travelling from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and then Chennai, the sisters were evidently worn out by the tournaments. "Most of our contemporaries were significantly younger than us. It was awkward, but we didn't encounter a single mean remark. We would always chat up a storm with people. Monetarily, though, it was draining. We had to purchase rifles and bullets, and also spend on our practice. There was no support from local or sports authorities. I recall, Rahul Gandhi sent us two rifles, which helped us win many matches. We practically made it on our own," says Prakashi.

Our chat is infused with many spirited moments as they take us through their journey of breaking the shackles of patriarchy. "We didn't give a damn about the world. We went from tournament to tournament, winning medals. Life before 60 and after 60 didn't seem much different, apart from the fact that we were able to find our own [voice]. It is important to create your identity beyond chula and chaukha. We've taught our girls the same, and today [Prakashi's] granddaughter is a professional shooter and an inspector in the Haryana police force," Chandro says.

They claim that the world could have deterred them, had it not been for their sense of self-assurance. "We were 60, and physically worn out. But, will-power is bigger than anything else. We willed to do more than what we were expected to, which is to have a family, raise kids and perform household chores. Age is a number; the strength of your spirit is what matters," adds Chandro.

Ask them if parting with their story was a tough call, and Chandro say, "We had never thought that our life story would inspire a movie." Prakashi adds, "We lapped up the idea when it came our way. The filming took place in our village, Johri. The cast and crew of the film were protected by us. Even now, we face opposition from locals because we are forward-thinking individuals. [After watching us], girls from the village actively started pursuing athletics, shooting and education."

Pannu, who plays Prakashi, was the first to come aboard the film. She was later joined by Pednekar, who essays Chandro. "The girls stayed with us in our huts, and became our own. They didn't behave like actresses who couldn't manage themselves. They were solid girls; living on their own terms. Every day, there were requests of dishes that they want to eat — shahi paneer, matar paneer, dal subzi. The girls and the crew ate with us," says Chandro.

The shooter dadis hope that the film puts the spotlight on the fate of athletes in India. As far as they are concerned, they've already deciphered how to do their bit for athletes like them.

"We want to start a shooting range. There's a plot in Meerut that we have shortlisted, and we need sponsors and government support to go ahead. We hope this film enables us to get that. We aim to be coaches and train young girls so that they may have the opportunity to realise their dreams. We are often invited by teachers in local schools. We want to tell young girls that the world is their playground. Times have changed; in this era, girls are better than the boys," Chandro signs off.

55+
No. of tournaments the sisters have won since 1999




Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar

Prakashi Tomar on her secretive foray into the sport and why she’d tell Taapsee Pannu to cover her face
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 25, 2019)

After training in sharpshooting for two years, Prakashi Tomar won a medal for the first time in 2000, defeating Deputy Inspector General of Delhi Police, Dheeraj Singh. She hid the newspaper article congratulating her on the feat but 10 years later, when her daughter Seema cinched silver in Trap Shooting at the ISSF World Cup in England, Prakashi had an entourage of five cars and three dholwallahs waiting to welcome her at the airport.

“I wanted her to know that she is a hero. Just like my granddaughter Ruby, who is now an inspector,” says dadi, her voice quivering with pride. This, for her, is the measure of progress that Baghpat, their village in Uttar Pradesh, has made. But change was far from her mind when she first picked up a rifle.

Prakashi, like her sister-in-law Chandro, only accompanied her daughter to the Johri Rifle Club to encourage her. When she hit bullseye on the first attempt, the coaches couldn’t look past her. “Milk five cows every day and work in the fields, you will also have the strength to hold and fire a gun,” chuckles the 82-year-old sharpshooter, reveling in the look of surprise on everyone’s face.

With her ghoonghat in place, she fields questions playfully, looks straight into the camera and even hums a tune in-between shots. “My childhood was spent working. I got married at 19 and was running the household, milking cows, cooking and working in the fields. I only started playing once I turned 60,” she points out.

While she has won several medals in her 22-year career, her first victory, against a man, remains the most memorable. “He didn’t want to be photographed, having lost the match to me,” she laughs. “I used to practice with a jug in my hand after everyone had gone to sleep or while working in the cowshed. For my first competition, I lied to my husband and family, saying I was going to my maika.”

It was only when her sons assured their father that the medals she’d won were of real gold, that they let her ‘play’. Ironically, despite having a weapons’ license, none of Prakashi or Chandro’s sons took up the sport. “They have their jobs, but my daughters are winning medals,” she smiles.

The Revolver Dadis are happy about the biopic because they want everyone to know that it’s the body that gets old, not the mind. Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar, who shot in the house adjoining the Tomars, are now family for the octogenarian. “They used to come running barefoot into my house. I’d admonish them, tell them to cover their face with a ghoonghat. We didn’t want the look to be out, no?” Prakashi, Taapsee’s role model, reasons. And did the actresses nail the look? “Look what they did to their pretty faces! Taapsee insisted we should have started our careers when we were young, so that they didn’t have to turn gray. Now their parents know what they will look like when they turn 60,” she laughs.

Saand Ki Aankh opens this Diwali. Surprisingly, there are still no theatres in their village and women shy away from going to the all-men screenings at neighbours’ homes. “We go to the movies only when we’re visiting the nearest cities,” Prakashi says matter-of-factly. “But we plan on screening our film for the village. Hope it inspires more women to follow their dreams,” she signs off.


Seema and Prakashi Tomar; Taapsee Pannu in Saand Ki Aankh (above)

Production designer of Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar's sharpshooter biopic Saand Ki Aankh on recreating 10-meter range in Johri
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 2, 2019)

Given the adulation they receive in their hometown, the Tomar sisters were able to create a smooth inroad for the makers of Saand Ki Aankh into Uttar Pradesh's Johri. Having access to the village, and, of course, the homes of former sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar implied that production designer Ravi Srivastava could seamlessly recreate their world for the upcoming Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar starrer. But he was plagued with another task.

"The film had to look realistic, but Tushar [Hiranandani, director] envisioned it as a commercial movie. To strike a balance between those two elements was key. The subject is not of a masala potboiler, even though Tushar has grown up on an appetite of commercial films. People don't know about shooting; cricket and hockey are more popular [in India]. [I had to employ] elements to attract people to the film's drama."

In a bid to recreate the village that was home to India's brightest shooters, Shrivastava (left), credited for breathing life into films like Life Of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire, built a home from dilapidated houses. "As for the shooting range, while we mostly filmed at real ranges, we also created a small shooting range, employing six machines. The sisters gave us several insights into the sport, and cues on how we could set-up a 10-meter range. The manual shooting ranges have been used for the film's early scenes," says the designer, adding that local authorities provided them with sufficient aid to enhance their set.

Tackling powerful parts in Bala and Saand Ki Aankh, Bhumi Pednekar on what makes her tick
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 7, 2019)

Bhumi Pednekar will have a busy time at the box-office with as many as five releases lined up for the next four months. Having displayed a sharp eye for scripts early on in her career, the actor considers herself "privileged" to have got the opportunity to play such diverse characters — if Bala has her playing a dusky woman dealing with her insecurities, Saand Ki Aankh presents the challenge of playing a 60-year-old on screen.

The shoot of Bala behind her, Pednekar says the script of the social drama ticked all the boxes. "While choosing a film, I try and understand if the audience will connect with my part. My characters need to be layered, complex and have a strong sense of being. Bala is right up my sleeve. It's so funny and moving; it's a story where you will connect to the characters instantly," she enthuses.

The actor is just as excited to gauge the audience's reaction to Saand Ki Aankh that tells the story of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, the country's oldest women sharpshooters. She says she jumped at the idea of playing a sexagenarian with conviction, when she is half the age in reality. Couple that with the feminist streak of the Tushar Hiranandani-directed venture, and Pednekar had to take the plunge. "These two women are given incredible recognitions around the world, but no one knows how they had to fight their family and society to bring about a positive change for women in their male-dominated community. As an artiste, you hope that you get a film like this in your career and I'm fortunate to have this in my bag," says Pednekar, who is balancing the mix with comedies, Pati Patni Aur Woh and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare.

Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 31, 2019)

After playing a feisty young girl in Manmarziyaan, a lawyer out to reclaim her family’s honour in Mulk and a businesswoman suspected of murder in Badla, Taapsee Pannu is gunning for glory. In Tushar Hiranandani’s directorial debut, Saand Ki Aankh, she plays Prakashi Tomar, one-half of the real-life revolver dadis from Uttar Pradesh, with Bhumi Pednekar’s Chandro Tomar.

As part of her prep, Taapsee arrived a few days earlier than the scheduled date in Johri, the village where the Tomar sisters-in-law reside, which also served as the film’s location.

The 31-year-old Delhi girl insists that the rustic surroundings were not alien to her. “While growing up, my family and I would go to our village in Punjab every year during vacations and festivals,” says the actress who reached the village a couple of days early to get acquainted with the surroundings, the people and the language. “I picked up some slangs too.”

Her daily ritual in Johri included picking fresh vegetables from the fields with Chandro daadi, who would then cook them. “She’d also get me fresh cow and buffalo milk,” the actress smiles, adding that another upside was getting to work out on the terrace and in the fresh air of early morning.

Describing the Tomars as “cool daadis”, the actress says she wanted to establish a fun, friendly equation with them instead of distancing them as grandmothers. “I lived in Chandro daadi’s house and spent time with Prakashi daadi at hers during lunch. We had long chat sessions. My grandmother who is the same age is unwell but Chandro daadi walks to the farm every day and does all the chores. Till I met her I used to think that it was difficult for someone who is around 89 to be physically active, but not anymore,” Taapsee signs off with a laugh.

As the teaser of Saand Ki Aankh wins praise, director Tushar Hiranandani recounts his four-year struggle to give shape to the film on Revolver Dadis
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 12, 2019)

If one were to go by Bollywood's standard, Saand Ki Aankh is a clutter-breaking film. And as is the norm with any unconventional idea, the Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar starrer has had a cumbersome journey from the drawing board to the big screen.

As the film's teaser opened to praise yesterday, director Tushar Hiranandani says he has lived with the story of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar - the oldest women sharpshooters in the country - for the past four years. "I saw them on Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate. I had tears in my eyes when Chandro dadi said 'Tann buddha hota hai, mann buddha nahi hota hai'. I told Nidhi [Parmar, producer wife] that I will tell their story to the world."

For the debutant director, the gritty drama is a departure from the scripts he has previously penned, including Masti (2004) and Ek Villain (2014). "I have attempted every genre and I've enjoyed writing them all. As for Saand Ki Aankh, it wasn't an easy film to make. The casting was an insurmountable challenge. Taapsee and Bhumi were the only two actors who had the balls to say yes to this film. It took me fours year to get the project started. If it wasn't for Nidhi's belief in me, I would have given up. I had given up my well-paying job in Balaji [Telefilms] and had stopped writing films to start this movie. She supported me monetarily all through."

Having shown the gumption to base a film on two women in the autumn of their lives, Hiranandani hopes it sets a precedent. "People would assume that getting a producer [for such a project] would be hard, but Anurag Kashyap took care of everything. Whenever we met at parties, he would nudge me to become a director. So, when I met him at one party, I showed him an image of the two dadis holding the gun and told him that I want to make this movie. He said, then and there, 'I'm your producer'."

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; June 18, 2019)

Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar will be seen as India’s oldest sharp shooters in the upcoming movie Saand Ki Aankh, which is based on the lives of Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar. The two actresses are teaming up for the first time on screen. And Taapsee is all praises for her co-star.

“A lot of actors are good, and there are some who are intelligent, Bhumi is an intelligent actor. She preps for the part and actually does her homework. She has a notebook in which she writes her notes for various scenes. I, on the other hand, am spontaneous. When I used to see her prep, I would feel like such a useless actor. Plus, she knows how to use her surroundings, and the props around. Not many actors do it, but Bhumi is intelligent and does that,” says Taapsee appreciatively.

Besides spending a few weeks learning to shoot, the Game Over actress had the challenge of looking like a 60-year-old. “Three hours would be spent on the face everyday (to transform) and another hour in removing the make-up. And, before we started filming, we had worked on the body language, dialect, etc,” she says. However, to get the posture and walk of an old woman right, the 31-year-old observed the ladies in the village they were shooting. “My mother is 60, but her walk is neither weird nor does she limp. But women in the village do things differently than those in the city. Their chores are different, so I had to observe the way they stand, and the manner in which they walk based on the work they do,” reveals the Mulk star.

Besides that, the svelte beauty interacted with the two women on a daily basis. “We were shooting right next to their house in the village. Now, they are pretty old, the elder one is 88 and the younger one is 84. They don’t understand what this film is going to do, but they are happy that people are celebrating their achievement.

Taapsee says, “Chandro and Prakashi Tomar are glad to see so many people around, feasting and treating them with good food. They haven’t wrapped their head around what will happen.”

On a lighter note, the actress reveals that considering that the two women have many children in real life, in the movie, too, she had to be pregnant several times!  “I was roaming around pregnant on the sets multiple times, especially because the transition from young to old is shown in the first 10 minutes. Since they are so many, I don’t even remember their (kids) names, though I met them and was shooting in the village for 50 days,” she grins.

Ever since the actress did Naam Shabana, she has been sought-after for strong woman-oriented roles not only in Bollywood, but also in the South. Recently, her Telugu-Tamil bilingual, Game Over was dubbed in Hindi and released at the same time. “I will always do one South film every year. The good thing is that the makers are flexible with the dates. Initially, they used to come with a film starring a big star two months prior to the shoot and tell me 'Hero ki date yeh hai, now you give us your time' but I block my dates six months in advance for Hindi films. However, since I am the protagonist in most of my South movies now, they adjust on the basis of my availability,” she informs proudly.

Ask her, which industry she is getting more substantial roles in, and she confesses it’s in Hindi. “The kind of scripts that come to me from both the industries are at par with each other, but the number of films I get are more in Hindi,” signs off the actress, who will start shooting for Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad, next.

Taapsee Pannu on the challenges she has faced over the last 50 days in her efforts to bring one of the world’s oldest sharpshooters to the screen with her next film
Himesh Mankad and Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 11, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (February 9) that Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar are playing the world’s oldest sharpshooters—Chandro Tomar (87) and her sister-in-law Prakashi Tomar (82)—in Anurag Kashyap’s next production, Saand Ki Aankh, which marks the directorial debut of Tushar Hiranandani. Now, we have learnt that while shooting for the real-life drama, Taapsee has learnt to ride a tractor.

“I had always sat next to the driver and never driven one, had no reason to learn. But it’s a visually fascinating machine and you feel like you’re riding a huge beast. It isn’t as difficult as everyone assumes,” Taapsee informed from the set.

She is also getting a hang of Haryanvi, doing household chores while also working in the fields. “These chores contributed to the physical strength of the Tomars,” she explained.

Bhumi and she are expected to wrap up their portions by the month-end.

They have already completed over 60 per cent of the film and the two-month schedule has resulted in a new friendship and made the film an experience of a lifetime. “It’s my first biopic, where the character I am playing is still alive and was around during the shooting which adds to the responsibility. Bhumi and I are having a good time on sets and on our days off watch films and have meals together,” Taapsee disclosed.

But it wasn’t all fun and games. “Wearing a rubber coating which wrinkles your face 12 hours a day for 50 days at a stretch is not really the safest thing for an actress given that our face is our USP. It takes me three hours to get ready,” she groaned at the memory. “I love their journey and to bring it alive on screen has been a real challenge. I have never wondered what I would like at 65 and to look into the mirror and see someone double my age staring back at me, is quite a surprise,” she laughed.

Taapsee thrives on such challenges and every year sets a new target for herself so that she doesn’t get complacent. “In an industry where people prefer playing half their age, I chose to play someone older than my mother. I genuinely believe that whenever I have been pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I have delivered something good. Saand Ki Aankh is the biggest gamble of my career until now and I can’t wait to see how the audience reacts to it,” she signed off.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 11, 2018)

Acclaimed writer Tushar Hiranandani, whose repertoire boasts of films like Dishoom, Ek Villain, ABCD 2 and Grand Masti, is now gearing up for his directorial debut with an Anurag Kashyap co-production. Titled Womaniya, the film is a biopic on the lives of the world’s oldest female sharpshooters — Chandro Tomar, 86, and her sister-in-law, Prakashi, 81 — who reside in the Johri village of Western Uttar Pradesh. While Taapsee Pannu was brought on board to play one of the protagonists recently, the makers are currently on the lookout for actors for the rest of the acting line-up.

The film is expected to go on the floors later this year. “The story of these two women conveys a strong message — that life can begin even after 50. Every time I am faced with a mid-life crisis, I am reminded of their stellar story,” lyricist Raj Shekhar who has penned six songs for the film, tells Mirror. For the last one year, he has been closely working with Tushar and composer Vishal Mishra to keep the film’s music rural yet peppy and contemporary.

Raj insists that the film, which is a light-hearted drama, will make the audience laugh as well as tear up. The lyricist was making his debut with Aanand L Rai’s 2011 blockbuster, Tanu Weds Manu, when he first met Anurag, who is also mentoring the script and the film. The Gangs of Wasseypur filmmaker had been so blown away by the script that he’d initially wanted to direct it himself.

Popularly known as the “Revolver Daadis”, Chandro and Prakashi first learnt of the sport when the former, then in her mid-50s, had accompanied her granddaughter to the Johri Rifle Club. The octogenarian-duo has since won over 100 medals in the veteran category across championships in the north zone and at pre-nationals.

Prakashi’s awards include a Stree Shakti Puraskar by former President Pranab Mukherjee, a Women’s Achievers in India trophy and an Icon Lady Award by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

One of Prakashi’s eight children, Seema, is an international shooter and India’s first woman shooter to win a Shotgun Silver at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup. Today, many of Prakashi’s 20 grandchildren and Chandro’s six children and 15 grandchildren are shooters. Also, many women from the Tomar family now train girls at the Johri Rifle Association.

“Every song in the film has been written with the script as an inspiration. In turn, Tushar has drawn inspiration from the songs and rewritten some of the dialogues. It has been a beautiful give-and-take relationship. The music is deeply rooted in rural India and gives out a strong message that even ‘this India’ is cool,” Raj signs off.