Fictional characters created through cinema are an ode to a mundane routine!
Films, documentaries, web-series, short-films, or vlogs, collectively make one Indian Cinema and the 21st century has seen some of the most breathtaking films and stories that, now, audiences from different walks of life find themselves in.
The Indian Cinema through the 21st Century has been extremely bold and daunting in bringing narratives that were either considered a taboo, a sin or were locked down upon. Ingenious filmmakers, directors, and writers such as R. Balki, Maniratnam, Anurag Kashyap, Shyam Benegal, Prakash Jha, Alankrita Shrivastava, Ritesh Batra, and Gauri Shinde have brought out social, political, historical, and mythological satires to the big screen.
In a candid & descriptive written communication between Alankrita Shrivastava and our Co-Founder & CEO, Sonia Swaroop Choksi, we got to know more about the thought process of the young & energetic writer & director. She has the clarity and zeal for communication & could possibly be the face of the dynamic leitmotif of Indian Cinema for the new & young.
The mastermind behind Lipstick under my burkha and one of the most appreciated web series Made In Heaven, about the importance of having a strong connection with the audience and being unapologetic about creating niche content, she said, βFor me when I am writing or directing something, I like to just think of myself as the audience, and not some unknown entity out there. The story must make sense to me, the characters must move me, and if it doesn’t work for me, it doesn’t work. Unlike many other filmmakers, I don’t know what it’s like to “know how the audience will respond.” I believe in telling stories that I want to tell, the way I want to tell them. And I feel if there is honesty in one’s work, you will find an audience, you will create the audience. But I don’t believe in creating cinema with audiences in mind. For me, that would be a wild goose chase. So I just go by my own barometer, and follow my inner voice as much as I can.β
For Alankrita, being unapologetic about creating content on topics that have been considered as a taboo was not the idea of addressing the taboo in the first place. It was giving out an interesting piece of a story that one could passionately feel and relate to. Making great numbers is one aspect of filmmaking or storytelling while magnifying any subject that needs attention is another.
I like to explore the inner complexity of people’s lives and choices. I am definitely more interested in stories of women, and far less interested in stories of the cisgender privileged man who is sitting on top of the privilege heap. And I believe in not judging characters, but looking at their lives and choices through the lens of humanity and empathy. And the moment you do that, the work becomes more authentic and genuine. And “unapologetic,” said the dynamic filmmaker.
Rarely do we come across directors, filmmakers, and writers who feel so deeply about their craft and are open to sharing their journeys. The team of Match My [Talent] shall be indebted to Alankrita for sparing time from her busy schedule and being an utterly honest & humble guest for our article. We hope to see more movies like Lipstick under my burkha, more series like Made In Heaven, and many more stories that reflect reality through the art of Filmmaking.
