Actor-filmmaker Nandita Das' Zwigato is all set to release in India this Friday after it won hearts and critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival last year. The Kapil Sharma starrer is Nandita’s third directorial. In this interview with indianexpress.com, she shares how there are “new learnings” in her journey as a filmmaker. Nandita also reveals how Zwigato’s lead actor Kapil Sharma was late on sets “a few times” and how his “disarming and childlike apologies” melted away her annoyance. Excerpts from the interview: Q. Zwigato is your third directorial. How have you changed as a filmmaker over the years? I have changed as a person and a filmmaker since Firaaq. With passing time, there are new learnings. My understanding of the filmmaking process has surely grown, which is expected. But more importantly for me, what has changed is how I engage with my work. In my first film, I was quite particular about every small detail in every department. And everything was a matter of life and death. I constantly felt I was compromising and others felt I was a perfectionist. But during Manto, and more so in Zwigato, I felt I was able to let go much more. I think it is okay for things to not be perfect if they are at the cost of people’s well-being and relationships. There are many moving parts and factors and to think that as a director, one has it all under control is a complete fallacy. I am learning to tell myself that do the best you can and let go of what is not possible. Not always easy. Q. As a female actor turned director, how have things been behind the camera for you? Are there any specific challenges that women filmmakers or women behind the camera face that their male counterparts might not face? The film industry is no different from other fields in society. The discrimination, prejudices, biases in life are reflected in different workspaces too. While the number of women directors is increasing, we are still very few. Generally, there is a perception about the kind of stories that women should tell and how much money should be spent on their stories. It is still a predominantly male industry, where men control the money, the strategies, the stories. The more women behind the camera, the more change it will bring to how we perceive women on camera. Q. Has it become easier in a way for women filmmakers to tell stories today? Also, has the audience opened up to more stories told by women today? I have seen a significant change since my first directorial in 2008, Firaaq. There were very few female filmmakers then and now definitely there are more. I see a lot of young women on set in various departments and I’m sure that in 10 years we will see this change much more. Till then, it is tiring to constantly have to prove your place in the world. We need to hasten the process. There are still many technical fields where women are still so few and far between. I think audiences are definitely ready to see projects helmed by women and women-centric films. But for a film to have a female gaze it is not necessary for it to be female-centric. It is more important to see how every woman’s character in the film is created, or for that matter, man’s. It is nuances that make a film layered. Often audiences are gender agnostic and not aware of what women can actually add to the narrative. Q. How important is it for you to make a social commentary through your films? Your films are not simply masala movies that one should watch while keeping their brains at home. I instinctively lean towards socially conscious subjects. I got into films as an actor by default. I did my Masters in Social Work and have worked with various NGOs and the experience of being exposed to the many realities is bound to impact my choices in films both consciously and instinctively. I tell human stories, but not in a preachy or didactic way. For me to situate my characters in an authentic and real context is important. Our prejudices, struggle, fears, aspirations and relationships with one another is of concern and that’s what compels me to make a film. Maybe I see my art as a means to an end. Q. Kapil Sharma is a popular comedian and a star in his own right. At any point was it difficult to bring him down to play the common man Manas? Kapil is actually a simple man himself and comes from a humble background. I had many interactions and rehearsals that convinced me that he would perfectly represent the common man that he no longer is in real life. He said playing an ‘ordinary’ man reminded him of his growing-up years and his days of struggle. And because he is still very rooted, Manas’ character was not alien to him. He got into the skin of the character quite effortlessly. Also, he surrendered to the process and we had a very good working relationship. Q. Was Kapil ever late on set? He has a tendency to keep his star guests appearing on The Kapil Sharma Show waiting for hours at times. Yes, I had also heard many stories of Kapil being late. In all honesty, he was a few times. But his disarming and childlike apologies often melted away my annoyance as I am a bit of a stickler for time. Moreover, once he is on set, he is fully absorbed and involved in the process and never really in a hurry to go back. I think it was out of his comfort zone to get out of the studio and be in an outdoor location. But I think he enjoyed the experience.
