Richa Chadha yearns universality for women working behind-the-scenes in Bollywood
Richa Chadha yearns
universality for women working behind-the-scenes in Bollywood
Richa Chadha, like Shruti Haasan speaks her mind. She now yearns universality for women working behind-the-scenes in Bollywood. According to the actress, women are not in a
professional position in society.
Notably, her debut home production ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ follows the journey of a 16-year-old girl
The actress of substance craves to work towards empowering women in traditionally male-dominated areas of the film industry, such as spot and lighting departments.
The 37-year-old actor articulates that for her debut home production ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ it is only after training that her production house hired women in the lighting department.
The Shuchi Talati’s directorial
“Girls Will Be Girls” follows the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother’s unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences.
She donned the hat as producer turned with ‘Girls Will Be Girls’. and has also roped in a woman director. There was a sexuality thing in the film, so she wanted an all-female team. When you shoot, there’s an intimate scene and then there’s a man holding thermocol and you are told, ‘There’s not enough light, there was shadow, etc’, so you don’t always feel safe.
“In the lighting department, there are no women in India. We thought of doing a training programme for it. A company called ‘Light and Light’ (in Mumbai) sent a trainer. They spent time with girls teaching (them) storytelling through lighting, using technology.
Her production house hired one of them on their set,” revealed Richa amidst a panel discussion at FICCI Frames on Tuesday evening.
The actress further went on to add that while there has been “progress” in the representation of women in front of and behind-the-camera, a lot of work still needs to be done.
Citing and condemning the recent incident of a Spanish woman’s gang-rape in Jharkhand’s Dumka district, Chadha said such “horrible” instances create a fear of “unsafe” atmosphere for women.
Her production house has made some progress. Every year it is better than last year. But then, it’s taking two steps forward and one step back. When something horrible happens in society, whether it’s in Manipur or Jharkhand, it sets people back in time because then parents are like, ‘It’s unsafe for you to study and work’. Women are not in a decision-making position in society.
News Edit K.V.Raman
