Richa Chadha is glowing as she steps out for a special shoot with HT City. After all, the actor is set to expand her family with husband, actor Ali Fazal, soon. In her first interview after the pregnancy announcement on February 9, Chadha tells us, “We are both excited for this new phase. I believe in going with the flow, so I don’t want to stress about it.”

And like it happens with any expecting mother, tips from well-wishers are coming in thick and fast. She laughs as she shares, “When you are pregnant and it starts to show, it’s like an invitation for unsolicited advice. Everyone has an experience that they want to share.”

So far, Chadha has been pretty active during her pregnancy. Currently promoting her upcoming show Heeramandi, how has it been, juggling her health with her work commitments? The 37-year-old says “things got easier after people got to know” that she was expecting.

“I worked hard for the show and wanted to be there to promote it. And I think I have been doing well. When we went to the Sundance Film Festival in January, only Ali and I knew about the pregnancy. It was more challenging then because of the sub-zero temperatures and a lot of uphill walking,” shares the Fukrey actor, adding, “Now, with the star cast of my show knowing, they have been sweet and accommodating. They keep asking if I need anything.”

Speaking of support, Chadha feels it’s impossible to not mention her husband, who has “always been caring”. “I am blessed to have a partner like him. He is a man of character, as involved in the house as I am. Now that he will have a family of his own, he is very excited. I think he will make an incredible father,” she wraps up.

A win is always a confidence-booster. It becomes all the more significant when it comes early on in one’s journey. That has been exactly the case with Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal. The double win of their maiden production, Girls Will Be Girls, at the Sundance Film Festival 2024 has reaffirmed the actors-turned-producers’ faith in their choice of stories. Encouraged by the recognition, the duo is set to launch their slate for 2024—it includes a comedy film, a drama, a thriller and a documentary.

Chadha, who founded Pushing Buttons Studios with business partner-husband Fazal in 2021, shares that they have expedited their next few projects. “With the success and reception of Girls Will Be Girls at Sundance, we believe that the bar is set high for us. We hope to keep introducing unique stories and take Indian narratives to the global audience. We are lining up projects that are diverse, and want to work with creators who are passionate about cinema,” she says.

Starring Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi, Girls Will Be Girls explores a 16-year-old girl’s complex relationship with her mother. Shuchi Talati’s directorial venture won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Entry category, with Panigrahi bagging the Special Jury Award. It has set the tone for Chadha and Fazal’s forthcoming projects where they don’t want to be restricted to a specific genre; instead, they want to seek out meaningful stories.

Chadha asserts, “Quality content is above all—this is the motto we start with. We have the approach of being genre-agnostic. As first-time producers, we don’t want to be limited and want to try our hand at different things that speak to us.”

Is there a greater joy for filmmakers than seeing their maiden movie winning awards? Over the weekend, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s debut production, Girls Will Be Girls, clinched two awards at the Sundance Film Festival 2024—the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Entry category, and the Special Jury Award for Acting for Preeti Panigrahi.

Starring Panigrahi and Kani Kusruti, Shuchi Talati’s directorial venture revolves around a 16-year-old girl’s complex relationship with her mother. In the coming-of-age drama, Chadha and Fazal found just the kind of meaningful stories that they want to back. Their belief in championing unheard stories has been rewarded with the wins.

Chadha says, “It seems as if life is going in all directions at the same time, in a good way. I hope this gem of a film maps out its own journey.”

Actor-producer Fazal is already planning the film’s festival run. “Up next is the Gothenburg Film Festival and another festival. This win helps us dream bigger and take on some more stories that we want to push the buttons on.”

Crediting Chadha for advocating the movie, Talati says, “It’s fulfilling to see our story strike a chord with viewers and reviewers, igniting discussions about the often-overlooked coming-of-age encounters depicted on screen.”

Only a few weeks ago, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s maiden production, Girls Will Be Girls, was chosen to compete in the World Dramatic Feature category at the Sundance Film Festival 2024. Now, as the prestigious festival kicks off in Park City, Utah, comes another distinction for first-time producer Chadha. The actor has been selected to be part of the talk session, Entertainers as Activists, where international filmmakers and actors will discuss how they create awareness around social causes through their movies.

In her 15-year career, Chadha has been a vocal advocate for social change, highlighting issues within and outside the film industry. Her commitment to change is exemplified through her 2022 initiative Undercurrent Lab, which aims to enhance the representation of women in different spheres of the filmmaking process. At the session, she will share the stage with philanthropic leader Bridgit Antoinette Evans, comedian-actor Kobi Libii, and documentary filmmaker Bao Nguyen.

Ahead of the event today, Chadha said, “Entertainment has the power to shape perceptions and inspire change. As artistes, it’s our responsibility to use our voices to amplify important issues. I’m honoured to be part of the Sundance Film Festival panel, discussing how entertainers can be catalysts for meaningful activism. Let our stories not only entertain, but also provoke thought and drive positive transformation.”

Girls Will Be Girls, directed by Shuchi Talati, revolves around a 16-year-old in an elite boarding school.