When filmmaker Shoojit Sircar and television producer Rashmi Sharma came together to produce Pink, they knew this wasn't just another movie that they were making. For Shoojit, it was a subject that he strongly believed in. For Rashmi, it was a story that she could relate to and the kind of film that she always wanted to be associated with. Now, with Pink getting critical acclaim and already becoming a topic of discussion, we spoke with the excited duo. Excerpts:

Amitabh Bachchan's dialogue 'No Means No' in the film has become a talking point. With this, Shoojit, Rashmi, do you feel you've achieved what you wanted to?
Shoojit: 'No Means No' is the final argument in the film. I'm thrilled to see that it has become a point of discussion and is slowly becoming a slogan. Everyone should know that when a girl says no, it means no. The word 'no' had become very insignificant in our lives, wherein if someone said no, it meant something like theek hai, aage bolo kya karna hai. But now with Mr Bachchan saying it, there are some women who are already saying 'No Means No'.
Rashmi: The idea was to make a film that would provoke people to think about the set norms of society. Women around the world have been facing a lot of issues that had to be highlighted in some way and cinema is an influential medium to do so. Our film is a message from all those women who want to live freely, and at the same time, also make society understand that when a woman says no, she means no. Even though this dialogue has become a talking point ever since its release, I still feel there is a lot left to achieve. We will truly achieve what we want to when this dialogue will not remain just a dialogue from the film, but will be understood and practised by people, and become a movement.

Shoojit, Pink is about women's concerns and you had a female producer who came on board. How was it collaborating with Rashmi?
Shoojit: It was very good. When we started work on this film, I was doing it myself; there were no studios involved. That's when Rashmi came on board and it was her first film. I had heard that she had produced many shows on TV and had some six to seven serials on air. They were wanting to get into film production and told me they'd seen Piku and Vicky Donor and would like to be associated with this film. That's how it all began.

Rashmi Sharma, one of the most successful producers in the television industry, is all set to make her debut as a Bollywood producer with Pink. The film, which she is co-producing with Shoojit Sircar and Ronnie Lahiri, has Amitabh Bachchan in the lead and also features Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Taring. Rashmi kick-started her career as a creative director. Later, she followed her dreams along with her husband Pawan Kumar (the brain behind the success of their company Rashmi Sharma Telefilms) and became one of the top producers with a diverse and interesting range of serials. She has now expanded her horizons and forayed into Bollywood.

Talking about Pink, which is directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Rashmi says, “Pawanji and I are glad to have this opportunity to tell stories through the medium of cinema. Like television, cinema too has been going through a lot of changes in the way it presents its story. So, it's essential that you have complete faith in what you invest in.Considering the content we put out on television, it is of utmost importance that we maintain the same legacy in films too. And working with some of the finest talents like Mr Bachchan and Shoojit Sircar, who purely believe in content, the synergy helped us to communicate and understand each other's thoughts. Pink is an interesting film that has a good mix of entertainment and a powerful message. Rashmi Sharma Films is proud to announce this as its first movie and we consider it an honour to be associated with talented personalities and the entire team who has worked on it.“

Meanwhile, Rashmi also has a number of other film projects lined up which will be announced in the course of the year.

Pink releases on September 16.

In these times of content-driven cinema, with a developing aesthete audience, 2016 will see a unique offering - PINK starring the legend Amitabh Bachchan along with Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang. What is interesting is that two creative minds from the entertainment industry, who are path-breakers in their own right, have joined hands for this extremely curious film. Rashmi Sharma, a well-known name in the world of television, who has to her credit a number of hit TV shows and Shoojit Sircar, who is known for his unconventional cinematic point of view as seen in his films Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe and Piku. Shoojit says, “This film is my next with Mr Bachchan after Piku and I'm extremely happy that Rashmi Sharma and Pawan Kumar share our mindset and vision and have come on board to join me in my film journey ahead with PINK. I'm looking forward to our association in the months to come.“

Talking about their collaboration, Rashmi says, “It's a coming together of creative minds. My husband Pawan, Shoojitda and I have one thing in common - a passion for our work. Our goal is to make a good, clean and entertaining film that can be watched together by the whole family.“

Rashmi's foray into Bollywood couldn't have come at a more opportune time as it is her birthday today. “I always get some pleasant surprises on my birthday. This year, it's PINK,“ she says. On this occasion she speaks to BT about her future plans in tellyland and her decision to get into films...

Why did you decide to venture into films?
Every creative person has a dream to get into films after doing TV. I have been wanting to be a part of such a subject since a long time. I'm sure a subject like this will stand out because I could relate to it. I can't reveal any more about the film, but all I'd like to say is that we are very happy to be making our foray into Bollywood with such an exciting movie. This is Pawan's dream and we are fulfilling it along with Shoojit. It is a fantastic platform for us. Given the pace at which we are making the film, our hard work will be out there for everyone to see soon. We are actually looking at releasing it on September 16 tentatively.

How does it feel to have Amitabh Bachchan in your very first film?
Mr Bachchan is a legend. Working with him on our first film project is a dream come true. The feeling cannot be expressed in words. He is a very down-to-earth person, despite being so famous. Pawan and I are very excited.

The daayan concept that you introduced in your show last year has been used by others in their shows. Are you now looking at something new?
Yes, today many serials have the daayan track. We are ready with some new interesting shows that will launch on TV soon. lt's going to be a new way of storytelling. It's unique. I can't reveal much because the promos haven't gone on air yet. We are also working on some love stories. In the present scenario, the dynamics of love has changed.

What are your birthday plans?
Birthdays are always special to me. And all my birthdays have added a new chapter in my life. It's the day of new beginnings for me and Pawan ensures that each time it gets better. This year, it's special because I have PINK in my life.

Any birthday wish?
When a girl is born, her life is almost planned. It's taken for granted that eventually she will get married and have a family. I believe that every girl should be allowed to do what she wants to. She should be given the freedom to plan her life. I have been fortunate to carve my own path. My parents encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. My husband has been very supportive. I wish every girl gets a chance to be the decision-maker of her life.

You have come a long way from being a creative head to a producer. What changes have you see on TV in the past 10 years?
TV is changing which is a positive sign and is moving towards a progressive medium. Earlier, it used to be a medium which people would watch for specific hours. But now there is so much variety of channels and shows that viewers get to watch different stories at the same time. Also earlier, they would watch one show religiously, but now if they don't like a particular track they can immediately change the channel. For us, now the challenge is to sustain our audience.

There is a lot of healthy competition around. TV is no less than films when it comes to production values and content. Ideally, how would you like to portray a woman on your show?
In our serials, we like to show women who become an inspiration for everyone. Viewers who are watching the show should connect to the character and get a positive message. TV has seen women in all her forms. But as makers, we should draw a line when it comes to portraying them. I want to show women in a dignified manner, whether on TV or in films. The protagonists should be progressive.

But the vamp on the small screen is always very negative.
Who is a vamp? Somebody who is a mother, bhabhi or girlfriend, whose actions spice up a show. They are mere puppets created because of some situation. There's a fine line, as I said, which one shouldn't cross. Maintaining the sanctity of relationships in a show is important.

Would you like to ever direct a movie?
I have lot of thoughts in my mind. If one day I feel that there is a story I would like to tell and bring it forward to the audience, I would love to direct that subject.

Tell us something about Rashmi the person.
Since I come from a middle-class back ground, I have a lot of values and am passionate about my work. I like to lead a simple life with my family.

Actor-politician Hema Malini is upset about the promo of an upcoming show Swaragini, produced by Rashmi Sharma. According to her, it bears resemblance to a concept that she developed in 2012 for another channel. Her show, Swaranjali was a story of two sisters - Swara and Anjali - set against the backdrop of music. Interestingly, the new show also revolves around two girls - Swara and Ragini - with a similar backdrop.

Sonam Mann and Prakriti Mukherjee, who had conceptualised the show for Hema, say, “Swaragini seems to be a copy of our concept titled Swaranjali, which we had narrated to the same channel before taking it to another one. Our show is the story of a family bound by music and destroyed by it. It revolves around two sisters who were destined to become rivals before they even realise that they were sisters. We had shot the pilot with Sana Sheikh as Anjali, Shivalika Oberoi as Swara, Bhagyashree as Sangeeta Devi and Anju Mahendroo as the grandmother.“

The duo claims to have tried to reach Rashmi. “We wanted to know how their show's concept was so similar to ours. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in touch with her. Even her team is being tight-lipped about where they got the concept from,“ they add.

When contacted for her reaction, Hema said, “It definitely looks the same. My show was based on music. I have no idea about the new show, but if this is also on music, then it is our idea. What can I say to that now?“ We also tried reaching Rashmi for her version, but she did not respond to our text message.