'My struggle was because I'm a woman'

'You are constantly trying to get things made. You keep meeting people, knocking on their door. And time goes by.'

Karmma Calling Director Ruchi Narain feels the show's star Raveena Tandon is a brave woman, and lists her reasons why.

The two women, who are mothers to daughters, also had a lot of parenting conversations on set.

But Ruchi is among the brave ones too, in an industry that makes its women work harder than the men.

"I remember when Karan Johar had told me when we were trying to cast another film that I was doing. He said, 'I think male stars are apprehensive about working with you because you're a woman.' Even though I have a body of work, it's always taken me longer," Ruchi tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.

 

Both Raveena and you are mothers to daughters. Did you have conversations about parenting on set?

I have a lot of conversations about parenting with her.

She has raised four children, actually. Technically, she's also a grandmother. I do talk to her about it.

Her kids are grown up; my child is seven years old.

She was also one of the first people who met my daughter.

We discussed how to empower your child and not mother them, and help them find what they want to do.

You directed your first film, Kal in 2005. Since then, you have only five directorial credits to your name. Why haven't you done more work?

I've done a lot of work but it's been harder for me to get it out.

I wanted to do Karmma Calling 10 years ago.

I actually had written the script of Guilty seven years before it was made.

The thing is, after you do it (writing a script), it's not like you're just sitting. You are constantly trying to get those things made. You keep meeting people, knocking on their door. And time goes by.

I look around and it's clearly been different for other people. I feel I have had that kind of struggle.

I remember when Karan Johar had told me when we were trying to cast another film that I was doing. He said, 'I think male stars are apprehensive about working with you because you're a woman.'

Even though I have a body of work, it's always taken me longer.

People always ask if being a woman is it harder. I think it's harder to get people to put their trust in you and you end up persevering for much longer.

You need someone who will take that chance on you.

When I started working, I was always the only girl on set.

Now it's a better time as there are more women. I hope that it will become easier and easier as time goes by.

Your work, be it Guilty, or Hundred, champions women and talks about their rights in the most subtle manner.
Why do you think that is important for you as story-teller, and how has Indian cinema changed over the years in terms of female representation?

When I made Kal with Chitrangda (Singh), there was a woman protagonist in it and that story came naturally to me because I'm a woman.

Even in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Sudhir (Mishra, director) told me they were not being able to understand the woman's character and that is essentially why I was hired for writing that film.

I feel that my experience and struggle in trying to make stories made me more aware.

As I struggled for so long, I became more and more aware that my struggle was more specific to the fact that it's because I'm a woman.

I started putting women more in the forefront of the story that I was working on.

But it's not like I only want to do women-centric films. I personally feel that I also write my male characters really well.

You once said that your stories are heavily borrowed from your real-life experiences. Is this why you prefer directing your own material?

Yeah. I started writing because I thought that to be a director, you need to also understand how to write.

I'm not good at strategising my career.

I was attracted to film-making because I thought it's a great way to share your experiences and stories with the world.

I've had a very nomadic childhood where I've met so many people, lived in so many countries.

I've been to many educational institutions.

When you have that kind of experience, when you see so many stories, meet so many interesting people, you feel the urge to share it.

That is why I wanted to make films in the first place.

I've never been attracted to the glamour side of it.

I'm interested in sharing stories.

I have a lot of stories to share.

Who are some of the contemporary women film-makers you admire? And what kind of bond do you share with each other?

I love Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava, Reema Kagti...

They are so many women like them in the industry.

I'm very happy to say that we're all friends. We have a strong camaraderie and bonding.

We've all been through difficult and challenging times. Honestly, I don't know how I would have got through without their support.

We were all assistants, not on the same projects, but at the same time on different projects.

We kind of grew up from assistants to film-makers.

We always read each other's scripts, give feedback, and encourage each other.