Actor-turned-director Konkona Sen Sharma talks about her childhood and the indelible impact a family vacation had on her mind resulting in her debut, A Death in the Gunj. Cinema today needs to give expresssion to women's thoughts and desires, she tells Unnati Joshi
How did A Death in the Gunj happenIJ
This is a story that I heard in my childhood… How do I startIJ I never wanted to direct a film. My parents used to own a house in McCluskieganj. My grandparents used to live there. So my friends and my parents, we used to drive there often in the weekends. It is a very beautiful and picturesque place. And then my grandparents and my parents would tell us all the stories from their times, our family anecdotes. Most of the stories were just fun and “ha-ha” stories, while some were bizarre. And some of the stories, because the place is remote, beautiful and isolated, were a little spooky and chilling. And this is one of those stories which I heard in my childhood. It got stuck in my mind and eventually I think I started developing it till it became a full-fledged story. And I thought of telling it through a film.
Why is the film set in 1979IJ Is periodicity an equal prop in the filmIJ
Well, to begin with that is when it happened. That is when we used to holiday there, late 70s or early 80s and then my grandparents moved and eventually we sold that house. So it was set in that time. I could have set it in 82 but I just find 79 more romantic. In the sense that it connotes a sense of dissentient ending, the end of an era, it’s an end of a decade. So that’s why it’s in 79. And also, it is a certain way of life. I mean, if I set it today, the story wouldn’t have unfolded the way it does. That isolation would be so alien to many of us.
What made you choose a story which was about human dynamics and had a dramatic twist at the same timeIJ Was it tough balancing bothIJ
I always had the crux of the story. My dad had written a short story on it. I always knew what kind of people, place and time it was. I knew the basics and the story has remained the same. It was just to capture that and share with people. What I find fascinating was what I wanted to share. It’s not that I set out to do a film which is on human dynamics. That is what propels the story forward and its characters and their behaviour. That changes the course of life, the way people behave.
You have pitted established actors with new talent in the film. As a director what were the challenges in aligning the bothIJ
That wasn’t an issue because all of them are superb. I wanted to cast people who are right for the part and who are good actors. And most of them have done a lot of work. The seven main characters, they have all done great work before. I think the only new comer to me was Jim Sarbh because I had never seen his work and after he read for me, I was like, ‘Wow’. We were doing the shoot when Neerja released and I was like, ‘Oh my God, we have a star.’ Even the little girl, she has also done plenty of ads. It was never unequal in any way.
How did Kalki come on boardIJ She had to audition twice, she told us.
I needed an older woman and I felt that Kalki is very young. I wanted to be sure and wanted her to read to see how it comes across. But she is a great actor. I am so happy that she is in the film.
Since when have you been itching to be a full-time filmmakerIJ
I had no plans of becoming a director at all. It’s just that this story was always in my mind. I had heard it when I was eight or nine and over the years once in a while, I would tell my dad to retell it. And I always liked that story, I don’t know why. At the time when I was spending some time with my dad, looking for a house in Mumbai, I remember us talking about it and I was asking questions. I think suddenly one day I was at a dining table in my Gurgaon house and in my head I thought it could be a movie.
As a filmmaker what’s your specific grammarIJ
I don’t know. It’s my first film and I don’t know if I will make another one anytime soon and I don’t know if that will be same or completely different. I hope it’s different. I don’t even know what it means; I guess you will have to ask other people. I just went with my instincts because I had certain ideas about how I wanted this film to be.
There is a lot of talk about India not having enough women directors. Do you think this debate should not be encouraged because storytelling is meant to be genderlessIJ
No, this debate should be encouraged because it’s strange that there are not many women directors and it’s probably because many of them are not getting the chance. I think I have been very privileged because I have been an actor for so long, people take me seriously. If I was a nobody. And how can it be genderless because whoever you are it comes out in your film. Doesn’t mean you have to do a women-centric film, it can be any film.
As a director who wants to make independent films, what are the challenges you face in getting fundsIJ
Big challenges. The problem is that in order to get money, you need big stars. If you have a big star, you can get a big budget to make your film. You can get distribution easily which means you can release your film, get good show timings. Unfortunately, it’s very star-driven and affects all our decision accordingly. In terms of content also there are certain factors that go into making films which are songs and location. If you are making something which is different, it’s harder to get funds. Also it’s not just because you are making a different film, the content will be good. There’s no guarantee. But it’s important to keep doing all kinds of films so that we have a wide arc of content. Some of them wouldn’t be good and some will be great regardless of budget.
How does a festival release for smaller, varied and independent films ensure business and visibilityIJ
It’s important that people should know that India makes all kinds of films and not just Bollywood. Because many times people think Indian cinema is just Bollywood which is incorrect. We need money to be able to tell people about the film and then they can decide if they want to watch it or it’s good or bad from the reviews or word of mouth. But at least you should get a decent time to watch it at the theatre, not at 11 in the morning. That’s a big problem. Then if you get the award that helps a lot.
How do you deal with the constant comparison of whether you are like your mother or father… how do you deal with the constant questions about your pedigreeIJ
I don’t get that a lot. Even when I started acting, I used to get these, “your mother is an actor, is there any pressureIJ” And now that I did my first film, people ask, “Your mum is a director, is there any pressureIJ” But it’s only journalists who ask these. I don’t think about it at all because she is not competition for me. I mean nobody really is. But my mum is a pioneer in many ways. At 36, she debuted as a director which was so ahead of its time. And then having a family and doing her work and all of that. And honestly, if people have high expectations of me because of her then it reflects really well on her. And I bask in that, I love that. It will be awful if people said, “She is Aparna Sen’s daughter, what can you expect.” I would like it the other way around.
Given all the brouhaha about lipstick Under My Burkha, do you think women driven stories will ever be heard in the popular spaceIJ
Well, lipstick Under My Burkha will itself release in a couple of months which is great and hopefully it will encourage other people to make films and speak about things we think that we cannot. Anything that we think is not important is pushed aside as dirty or vulgar. These are all misconceptions. And the thing is we look at everything through male needs. Male desires are so acceptable. We find that so much in films and in popular culture. What about the womanIJ What about her thoughts and desiresIJ They go unrepresented.
While on the subject of Cannes, it was a platform where we competed or showcased our best films. Unfortunately that has now become a cosmetic driven diva show as far as our film industry is concerned. Your takeIJ
I don’t really think about it so much. Firstly it’s very hard to get in the competition in Cannes. The important thing is if you know what you have to take seriously. Anybody can have a screening but how does it matter. It’s good. I have nothing against it. If Cannes wants to be a gala then why notIJ Cannes doesn’t mean you have to be in the competition all the time. People who care, know.
Future plansIJ
I barely know what I am doing next month. (laughs)