Tanuja Chandra began her directorial journey with the 1998 psychological thriller Dushman, starring Kajol. Twenty-six years later, she remains dedicated to telling women's stories, whether through films or on OTT platforms, in fiction or documentary formats. Her impressive body of work includes titles like Wedding.com, Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha, and Hush Hush.
However, Chandra's journey has not been an easy one. Her path was not paved with rose petals but was instead marked by rule-breaking and defying industry norms to prove that women can create movies independently. One of the major barriers she faced was the industry's insistence on having a male actor as the "hero" to secure funding.
In a recent candid conversation on Shaili Chopra's show The Rule Breaker, Tanuja Chandra revealed the challenges she faced two to three decades ago. Producers often told her, "Auraton ki picturein nahi chalti" (women's films don't work). Despite these obstacles, Chandra persevered and has now become one of the most respected directors and creators in the industry.
Tanuja Chandra's Unconventional Journey in Filmmaking
Chandra shared her experiences and the journey to where she is today. "Two to three decades ago, when I was doing stories around women, I had to have a male hero. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get any funding. For my first film, Dushman, the role of Sanjay Dutt was much smaller than Kajol's, but I needed him in the movie to secure funding," she explained.
She added, "Now, at least a small bridge has been crossed where you don’t have to have a male hero. It actually makes me unhappy to hear people kind of say, 'Is there now a trend?' There has been no trend; it has been really slow progress. We should have come much further than we have."
Nonetheless, she acknowledges, "But even now the budgets are much smaller." While progress has been gradual, there's still a long way to go, and this remains our next challenge to overcome.
Chandra's movies have garnered several awards, some of her notable works include Qarib Qarib Singlle, Zindaggi Rocks, Hope and a Little Sugar, and her collection of short stories, Bijnis Woman, published by Penguin Random House.
Stay tuned for the upcoming episode of The Rule Breaker show featuring Tanuja Chandra, where she shares her journey and insights.
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