Showing posts with label Priyanka Borkar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Priyanka Borkar. Show all posts
Women's Day Special: Celebrating women behind the scenes in Bollywood
8:26 AM
Today, on International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate women who may not appear on the big screen, but are the most significant part of a film. These women are the true heroes behind the magic we see on screen
Juhi Chakraborty, Rishabh Suri, Titas Chowdhury, Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 8, 2022)
Juhi Chaturvedi, Writer
It is a welcome change to have more women around me. But it is not about the number. If I have talent, then I should get the opportunity and not be discarded on the basis of my gender. That change is slowly happening. It’s good to see women getting their due.
Priyanka Borkar, Hair stylist
For far too long, the film industry and hairstyling department have been largely male-dominated. I’ve been here for 14 years and can say that there has been a significant rise in the number of women. I like seeing more women getting into the industry, doing great work. I believe there is equality now.
Deepa Bhatia, Film editor
Women are becoming increasingly visible in the industry, notably in post-production departments. When I first started working, the only woman editor was Renu Saluja. I looked up to her and she was an inspiration to me since we didn’t see many women in that position at the time. More women are participating now than ever before.
Dolly Ahluwalia, Costume designer
Whatever the profession, there has to be equality and respect, for both men and women. Even families didn’t support women entering the industry earlier, but now there is so much awareness. And even in the field of costume design, there were very few women in the past. Bhanu Athaiya ji was the first, followed by Neeta (Lulla) and others. Now, it’s incredible to watch young ladies become great designers.
Sanober Pardiwalla, Stunt woman
When it comes to the industry, there are many women today working in all divisions, and I’m not only talking about stunts. Earlier on set, 80% of the crew were men, and women were only spotted in the costume department. That, however, has changed. Women are involved in every phase of the filming process, from lighting to art direction. The mentality has also become more open, with equal respect given to all. It is no longer a question of whether you work for a guy or a woman.
Savleen Manchanda, Makeup artist
There was a time when hair used to be a woman’s thing and makeup was a man’s job. With time, we have all become comfortable with both sexes and have now become a team. Bollywood has been really accepting.
Ridhi Anand, Assistant director
I began working in the film industry in 2014, and I now see more women on set than I did previously. Filmmaking is no longer solely a man’s domain. Fortunately, I’ve never experienced any type of gender bias in the profession. However, when I first started, I would see a man and a woman doing the same job as the second AD, but the man would get paid more. That, I believe, is beginning to change. To some extent, the battle for better pay has receded.
Meenal Agarwal, Production designer
When I started in 2001 with production designer Suzanne Caplan Merwanji, there weren’t many girls working on the set of a mainstream film. I’ve witnessed a set transition from having no women to having so many of them. Despite this, mansplaining continues to exist. To this day, several studios lack clean women’s restrooms. I intend to continue working for these basic rights. However, the industry now has more educated, civilised people that respect me and my profession, which is a blessing.
Shruti Mahajan, Casting director
People were hesitant to work with female technicians at first, but now they realise that women can handle all sectors. They are strong not just physically, but emotionally as well. I think the casting department belongs to women. Compassion, intuition and instinct come naturally to us. Most actors come and say, “You hear us out,” and that makes a lot of difference.
Shelly Sharma, Cinematographer
I consider myself more privileged than women before me. I’ve been on teams with no women, and now I’m on a team with a lot of women. So, times are changing. I’d also like to thank the Indian Women Cinematographer Collective (IWCC) for raising awareness about female cinematographers. Many young women write to me, asking for advice on how to pursue a career as a cinematographer. That is a great thing.
How is the celebrity entourage coping up amid the Coronavirus outbreak?
8:50 AM
Juhi Chakraborty and Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 16, 2020)
Bollywood is perhaps being upended the most by the Coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown. While celebrities are busy sharing tidbits about their lives on social media, we wonder what their entourages, who are always on the go, are doing during this period.Salman Khan’s bodyguard, Shera, a celeb in his own right, says, “He (Salman) is with his family at his farmhouse (Panvel), and I am taking care of my family here (Mumbai). Everything is arranged.” On whether he’s finding this time away from Bhai strange, he says, “This is not the time to miss those days, but take care of your loved ones. Yeh waqt kisko milta hai guzaarne ka?”
Alia Bhatt’s hairstylist, Priyanka Borkar (right), admits things have been difficult. “I have some savings. I did an independent job in February and March but haven’t got paid because of the situation. My mum runs a salon, so I have to take care of the salon’s rent, paying my employees, besides a home loan. It’s going to be tough if it goes on for two or three months,” she shares.But actors are doing their bit to make the lives of their teams easier. Ileana DCruz’s personal assistant shares how she has been taking care of him and others. “Money is not a problem as she has given me a sufficient amount for the next few months. She’s asked me to contact her for anything I need,” says Chandan Singh.
Anil Kapoor’s manager Jalal Mortezai says the actor ensured his staff had all the essentials before the lockdown. “AK is an amazing person, and it’s more than a working relationship,” he says.Deepika Padukone’s makeup artist Sandhya Shekar reveals the actor cancelled her Paris trip due to the crisis, her priority being the safety of her team which was to travel with her. “She had important work but as a team we took a call to cancel all,” she shares, adding she is making the most of this forced break, “relaxing a bit”.
Taapsee Pannu’s stylist Devki Bhatt does miss the busy days, but it isn’t as if work has stopped. “I have my own fashion PR too, so I have that running to thankfully keep me sane! Of course, I am missing the day-to-day rush! Hope it all goes back to normal,” she says.
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