Bollywood has been dominated by male directors since ages. Where even words like Lights! Action! Camera! Rolling! Pack Up! were dependent on their command. But since the last half a decade female directors too have made their presence felt in this male dominated arena and tried to break the monopoly of the so called male directors. Not only these now this female directors have not only left a deep impression on the cine goer’s mind but also got a lot of appreciation for their par excellence directorial skills. And now one more name is being included in this long list of female directors named Payal Kashyap, who happens to be a fun loving & extremely bold person. She is all ready to take on the, behind the scenes, male director’s dominance. She is all excited to showcase her woman power. Incidentally speaking she had opened her directorial innings with a symbolically titled film Ganga Ki Pukar. At present she is busy giving finishing touches to her 5th directorial venture named Never Again Nirbhaya which is based on the most talked about Delhi Gang Rape case. Present herewith are some extracts of the long conversation held with Payal Kashyap. Tune in!
What was the main reason of directing a film on the Nirbhaya Rape Case?
The main reason to make a film on this particular topic was that it was always facts that has appealed to me more than the fiction. Moreover the audience as well as myself feel more connected to each other when I end up making a realism oriented films. Besides in those days when the Nirbhaya incident had taken place I was busy shooting in Delhi itself for a documentary based on the life of the Late PM Rajiv Gandhi. At that time I saw Nirbhaya’s painful death every day due to the varied publications & news channel’s round the clock harping on the most cruel act which had happened with Nirbhaya. Her name was Nirbhaya (fearless) but she lived a very fearful life in her last days in the hospital bed and I could literally hear her weeping for almost a week. This incident had literally left me totally shaken & disturbed. In fact the entire nation was deeply moved. The incident was relived in every corner of our nation. So I felt that keeping this incident as a focal point I should make a hard hitting film with a very relevant social message. So that no other man, not even a stone hearted one with no feelings whatsoever, will ever dare to create such a cruel crime again. That apart it may finally bring a real justice to the family of the deceased Nirbhaya. Not ony this Never Again Nirbhaya will act as a soothing balm on the non – healing wounds of Nirbhaya’s family.
Now time to give us details about the cast & the credits of Never Again Nirbhaya?
As our film Never Again Nirbhaya is totally based on a real story so I wanted to have a fresh pair for the lead cast. Hence I selected the ex – Miss. International Richa Sharma & Dinesh K. Mehta, who has acted in many small screen serials, as a lead pair. Besides them the film also stars Raju Shrestha, Shailendra Shrivastav, Pappu Polysater, Anil
Yadav, Gopal K. Singh, Ravi Kesari et al in pivotal roles. The credits of the film are story by Ramesh Chandra Jha, dialogues by A. M. Turaz, cimematography by Ajay Kashyap & Pawan Singh Rathore, lyrics by Vimal Kashyap, music by Rupesh Verma and above all the film has been produced by Bidisha Adhikari & Kanchan Adhikari. The film is all set to be released very soon.
So you are trying to do a yeoman’s service. In tandem with Social Service through the. Medium of cinema. Right?
You see as a director my main aim is to bring all the varied stories onto the celluloid silver screen. Besides the important aspects of all my film is entertainment and through these varied stories I always want to say something. I immediately start making a film on the story that touches my heart totally. And as far as Society is concerned how can anyone forget that I am also a part of this same Society. So it is also my responsibility
to do something for my country & my society. You get entertained as long as you watch a film but you definitely take home the message conveyed through the film and it stays with you for a very, very long time.
And this aspect is the one that has a greater impact on Society.
It seems you are also involved in the direction of a Telugu film. Right!
Yes it is very much true. I am not only directing Butter Thief Production’s Kaal Bhairava but also enacting a cameo role in it. I personally think & believe that cinema does not have any language. I want to narrate stories, then be it any medium. And I also wish to state that I had initially started my filmic career as an actress of Bhojpuri Cinema. And then I turned my focus on direction by successfully wielding the megaphone for 3 hit Bhojpuri films. That apart I am also enacting a cameo role in Never Again Nirbhaya aka Nirbhaya Ka Insaaf which will ultimately prove to be a turning point of the film.
You are handling varied departments of filmmaking at the same time. But don’t you think it is risky & dangerous to sail in too many boats?
Of course anything can happen. It can so happened that the sole boat you are sailing in has a hole in it and you may get drowned. So those who do not dare to take a risk their life itself may become risky & dangerous. That’s the sole reason that I am daring to take a risk at each & every step of my life and I am also all ready to take one more risk by turning a producer.
What do you enjoy most directing or acting?
I get a special feeling while directing a film. Frankly speaking I feel that directing a film is more creative than acting in a film. But again I would like to state today whatever I have achieved is only because of acting which is omnipresent in my blood. This only has given me recognition in the first place.
Why do you direct mostly female oriented films?
If you glance at the 100 year old history of Indian Cinema than you fill find that writers & filmmakers have always presented woman as a weak character almost like a down trodden “Abla Naari”. Even today barring a chosen few films an Indian actress is always presented as a stereotyped showpiece. Whereas today’s woman are nothing less than a man in any arena of work.
Goverment also talks about giving 50% reservation for half of the population. But Indian Cinema is still stuck in the same situation. So I think someone has to make a start. I want that Nadia’s hunter should rule the roost again resoundlingly on the celluloid silver screen that too in the Dolby Sound Sytem.
So what next after Never Again Nirbhaya?
Right now I doing one film for Rising Film Cooperation. No wonder this film will also be totally woman oriented. Through the medium of film I am trying to focus and bring to the forefront the varied problems of human trafficking. And then one more film named Shootout Of Azamgarh’s production work is going on. That apart I recently bagged the “Best Supporting Actress” award & “Best Director” award in Mumbai, Stree Shakti Sammaan 2016 on 31st Jul, 2016 and above all Fatima Begum Shikhar Samman (Jharkhand, Ranchi).
