How The Team Of Qarib Qarib Singlle Took Bollywood One More Step Qarib To Gender-Neutrality

Shailja Kejriwal: Producer

On her favoured medium… “The short film format. Great stories can be told in this medium. This is probably the last bastion left where a creative person can really tell a story without interference of market forces.”

On her favourite genre… “I seek to explore relationships and human drama. These could be in a serious or a lighthearted vein. Relationships and their dynamics evolve with the changing times and it’s fascinating to chronicle that. So, a relationship dynamic between two individuals is never static. This interests me. In QQS, I found the answers to some of my own questions. One, what is the relationship dynamic between two completely self-sufficient people? Two, obviously we all have a past and usually, that is something we feel needs to be hidden or are awkward about when we are in a relationship. Why? I believe we are a sum total of our past relationships and experiences, hence the person who loves us must celebrate with us our past because that is what has shaped how we are today. Three, can the economically independent adult woman finally take her own decisions? A question so many have asked me is why Jaya went with Yogi to meet his three girlfriends! Can a woman not just feel like doing something and do it? We cannot seem to get over the construct of a woman needing to be protected. An intelligent and able-bodied woman should be able to indulge her whims and also take care of herself.”

On your role as a producer… “I think a producer is like a bridge between the director and the actor, between the financier and the director, between the editor and the director, between the writer and the actor, between creative and marketing, and so on. In order to be the in-between, one needs to be an integral part of all departments and that’s the fun of producing.”

On collaborating with Irrfan Khan… “Irrfan is an actor, director, editor and producer all rolled into one. He is so involved and passionate even after so many years that one can get tired just looking at his energy. He is disciplined and his attention to detail is such that you have to always bring your A game to the table. More than anything, he loves experimenting with new genres, characters and perspectives. So it was just as well that we didn’t go to him with another Madaari type of a film. The fact that we went with a totally different genre — a romcom — is what excited him, although it took us a year to get him to agree. But when you see Irrfan on screen and get to work with him on a daily basis, one year is worth the wait.”

On her next film Toba Tek Singh... “It is a longish short film produced and directed by the immensely talented Deepa Sahi and Ketan Mehta. Deepa is who we turn to for all production-related advice and Ketan is someone we all look up to. Toba Tek Singh is Saadat Hasan Manto’s story on celluloid as interpreted by Ketan Mehta. This was a part of an initiative that had 12 film-makers coming together — six from India and six from Pakistan — and telling stories through short/long films, to commemorate the 70^th year of Independence as well as the 70^th year of Partition. Hopefully, this year will see the tension ease and we will be able to showcase these films in both countries.”

Next: Gazal Dhaliwal

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