Angry Indian
Goddesses, an Indian film, was hailed as one of the most significant films
centred around women, in the country. Directed by Pan Nalin, the film struck
chords with a massive chunk of people in India and abroad – with the
intellectual and relate-able dimension of the film being a major catalyst in
achieving this. Pan Nalin shares his story and inspiration behind the film with
us.
What inspired Angry Indian Goddesses?
Modern Indian
women and their stories inspired me to make an all-out female buddy film. I also
realized that the gap between the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan and the Kangana
Ranaut-starrer Queen is way too wide. About five years ago, when I started
research with my co-writer, Subhadra Mahajan and Dilip Shankar, there was an
outcry from women. They wanted to know why there were such few movies about
women, why there were no female buddy films at all. For decades, we have had
our shares of buddy movies: Rang De Basanti, Dil Chahta hai, Kai Po Che, 3
Idiots, Delhi Belly –
all great movies, but they all ran high on testosterones, as if women don’t
“buddy” each other! The inspiration
behind Angry Indian Goddesses was an organic process. I love great stories. Our
country witnessed rapid economic growth and crashed right into the conflict of
modernity versus traditions. Contemporary Indian women are at the centre of
this unfolding torn, troubled and tarnished modern era. Should they move with
time or stay with traditional values, or do both? I wanted to make a film which
would be a reflection of this state of affairs that Indian women are
experiencing: career, society, love, family, sex… so while researching and
writing Angry Indian Goddesses, it naturally transformed into one of the first
film to put the buddy-hood of Indian women at the heart of the story. That was
a kind of an aha moment!
Portrayal requires a lot of
effort - one runs the rusk of allowing characters to lapse into caricatures.
But Angry Indian Goddesses has been able to steer clear of it. How did you
manage that? What went into the casting / preparation for the roles?
I had short-listed about 12-15
characters in an attempt to form a great bunch. All those characters are
inspired from real-life characters. Each character was a story in itself. The
casting of seven female talents was a big preparation. Auditions shaped the
characters and their stories. One day, like magic, there it was! A wild bunch
of girls were selected and their photos were pinned to the wall of our office. This
was it. The Casting Director, Dilip Shankar, counted them: “..but there are seven of them!” I said that number did not matter.
This bunch emanated energy and the aura of womanhood and buddyhood. Once the
wild bunch was formed, we did a workshop with them with the help of Dilip
Shankar where each of them worked day and night in building their persona and bringing
their character to life. Each of the actresses influenced the script and
characters heavily. I really wanted that. Together with my co-writers Subhadra
Mahajan, Arasala Qureshi and Dilip Shankar, we devised a system where the
actresses would transform their characters and dialogues but without being
aware of it. Their influence had to be so natural and organic that they did not
even know that they were affecting the narrative.
As a fighter for Gender
Equality, what are your thoughts on the gains of the movement fighting for Gender
Equality, and what needs to be done in the future for it?
It should
neither be a movement nor a fight. I believe both are bad for seeking Gender
Equality. Like everything else in life, it has to start at a very young age, and
continue while growing up. This is the place where mothers play a very big role
in raising children equally. But that's not what happens in reality. There are
still mothers who serve hot chapattis to her son and cold ones to her daughter!
If we change little things like that in our lives, it will shake the whole
society.
What has the response for the
film been? Has there been an absorption of the messages by different sections?
Angry Indian
Goddesses has garnered a phenomenal reception across many countries and
continues to do so. And all this prior to its International theatrical release,
which will start from June 2016! I’ve tasted such worldwide response with my
earlier movies. As a filmmaker I always hope to be loved by my viewers, if that
was not the case I will not be making movies. So, first, I hope that viewers
will be entertained and enlightened. If they do so, they will certainly be
inspired to talk about what they have just watched. As I have always said,
there is no message, but we all have our own way of consuming stories. It’s not
about men or women but each individual who opens up to stories. When we read a
book or watch a movie, the gesture in itself is sign of opening up yourself and
positioning your mind in ready-to-receive mode. Each of us interacts and
receives stories differently and thank goddess for that! If we received and
interacted in exactly the same manner, what a boring place this earth be! I want
viewers to react differently, I want them to agree and disagree – and that
alone can start a dialogue. I am content with the way different sections of society
have absorbed Angry Indian Goddesses and interpreted it from their
point-of-view rather than just mine.
Angry Indian Goddesses was
unnecessarily censored in parts by the censor board. What are your thoughts on
it?
What we were
asked to mute or blur in AIG was truly shocking. I was so dumbstruck that for
days I had no idea how to react to it. Certainly, to me, many of their
objections seem unfair and unnecessary. We live in the 21st Century,
it’s a digital era, I can consume porn with a click. I can see all kinds of
violence on the net. Who are we trying to protect? Who are we censoring for? Above
all, four-five people sitting in a dark room decide what the entire population
of 1.2 billion should watch or not! I though that institution was in charge of
‘certification’, but why do they have rights to ‘censor’? Angry Indian
Goddesses has been appreciated world over for its positive portrayal of women
and inspiring storytelling. It will be released almost all over the world in
June 2016. Not one country wants to censor anything in the film. But back home,
we have a problem with the film because it gives voice to women. We blur images
of Goddesses because it is blasphemy to compare women with Goddesses! Come on!
Every politician in the country starts his speech with “Deviyon aur Sajjano!”
