‘I reinvented Gandhari in my own Kurukshetra’: Kanika Dhillon

Writer-producer Kanika Dhillon says her latest film “Gandhari” is an attempt to reinvent the mythological character from the Mahabharata as a woman who takes charge of her own battle in the contemporary world.

Set in the fictional town of Joypurra, the film follows Bani, played by Taapsee Pannu, whose desperate search for her abducted daughter leads her into a dangerous reality she could not have anticipated.

Directed by Devashish Makhija, known for critically acclaimed films such as “Ajji”, “Bhonsle” and “Joram”, “Gandhari” is written by Dhillon, who has previously penned women-led films starring Pannu, including “Rashmi Rocket”, “Haseen Dillruba” and “Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba”.

“I didn't want to retain the core of 'Gandhari' that we have been shown in the Mahabharata, that's why I tried to reinvent her in my own world, in my own Kurukshetra,” Dhillon told PTI in an interview.

The 42-year-old writer said she wanted to move away from the familiar portrayal of Gandhari, whose identity in the epic is largely associated with her devotion to her husband Dhritarashtra.

“In Mahabharata, Gandhari was accused of not fulfilling her duty towards her children; her world was defined by her husband, she had blindfolded herself and never looked at the outside world.

“While she is often placed on a pedestal for the immense devotion and self-surrender she showed towards her husband. Today, I find that unacceptable and I don't agree that a woman can be devoted to her husband completely,” she said.

For Dhillon, however, the story's starting point was not mythology but motherhood.

A mother to a five-year-old son, she said becoming a parent made her more conscious of the fear and vulnerability surrounding a child's safety. That emotion eventually became the foundation of the story.

“I felt that a mother possesses a divine power within her, a force that drives her to cross any boundary if her child is in danger. As an artist, I found this to be a powerful emotion; and it made me want to pour it on paper and craft a story around it,” she said.

The idea of connecting that emotion with Gandhari came later.

“I used to think, how much more she could do, but she didn't do it, she didn't get the chance. So, this time, in this story, Gandhari should get the chance, and she should take things into her own hands and fulfil her duty and fight her own battle,” Dhillon said.

“Gandhari” also marks Dhillon's foray into action, a genre she has long enjoyed but wanted to explore only after finding a story that could support it.

She described the film as an emotional action thriller and said Pannu's character was partly inspired by her own college experience of volunteering to assist visually impaired people.

That experience, she said, showed her how people can turn a disability into a source of strength.

“I watch good, bad, ugly, I watch every and any action film. Like, I’ve watched ‘John Wick’ movies. Action is very technical and requires a different skill set to be able to imagine it and then put it on paper. I enjoy visualising it a lot; my key moments must be defined,” she said.

“So, when I was ready with this story, then only I wanted to dive into it (action). I like thriller genre, and I usually do a genre bender, I do things that I enjoy and predictability bores me,” she added.

Dhillon also confirmed that she plans to make her directorial debut soon, though she did not reveal details about the project. Media reports have claimed that Saif Ali Khan and Kiara Advani are set to star in her supernatural thriller.

“When I turn director, it would be solely to see that what I've written on paper and how I can interpret it, which can make it better than how it is on paper. So, that is my greed to turn director,” she said.

Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna also feature in “Gandhari”.

Produced by Dhillon's Kathha Pictures, the film premiered on Netflix on September 3.