‘Pataakha’ is the Bittersweet Story of Two Badass Sisters
There is a reason why they say truth is stranger than fiction. Vishal Bhardwaj’s
‘Pataakha’ is based on the life of the two real sisters from Rajasthan, who were popular in their village for their fights. These sisters — Chhutki and Badki — are almost 60 now and have made peace with each other, but once upon a time, stories of their catfights were a part of local legend in the small town of Ronsi.
The sisters were amused to know that their lives had inspired a Bollywood film. Director Vishal Bhardwaj reveals that the sisters share a peculiar relationship and that is exactly what attracted him to their story. He says, “I was fascinated by them when I read the story ‘Do
Behnein’ by Charan Singh Pathik. Their characters are full of life and colourful, and yet so identifiable. Chhutki and Badki have a very unusual relationship in the movie and in real life, too. It’s not something that has been explored before, especially not on the level of a commercial movie like this.” Producer Ajay Kapoor believes that the audacious story adds more charm to the film. He says, “When Vishalji was telling us about these sisters, I realised this is a biopic, but it was still engaging, funny and hard to believe that this is a real story. I’m glad that this unique story has translated so well on screen.”
Charan Singh Pathik, the writer of the short story ‘Do Behnein’, is related to these two sisters. He had penned their story long back, but did not publish it until the two sisters made peace with each other.
In the film, Chhutki is played by Sanya Malhotra, while Radhika Madan plays Badki. Both actress es stayed with the two sisters in their house and observed them closely during the prep of the film. Recalling the time she spent with the sisters, Sanya says, “The only way to get acquainted with any role is to live like that person. My character is based on Chhutki, who is married to Charan Singh’s brother. So, I had to observe how the real Chhutkiji walked and behaved.”
The real-life Chhutki and Badki are still badass and they like to sing and make merry with other ladies in their town. Not just that, the women like to enjoy a good smoke under their pallus after dinner, too. Speaking about the real-life sisters, Radhika says, “They come from a very different world and environment. With them, its okay to fight like that. They don’t find it absurd to be that aggressive and hostile towards their own kin, because that’s how they grew up together. In the last few years, they’ve mellowed down and now share a beautiful relationship.”