‘Unfortunately, Bollywood still star driven’

Shonali Bose’s next, The Sky is Pink, may have Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar in the lead, but the director believes it is still tough to make a small film in a star-dominated industry. The 53-year-old filmmaker says there are better chances of her film drawing the audience’s attention with top actors headlining it. “It is unfortunate [that the industry is] driven by the star system. I do wish that was not the case. Bollywood is still stardriven even for one to get backing on the script. It is difficult to make smaller films. Like in case of Amu (2005) and Margarita, With A Straw (2014) you do not get backing from big studios as stars are not playing roles,” she says. Asked if it is essential to be regarded as a commercial director, Shonali says numbers matter but she has not let it affect her. However, the National Award-winning director adds, “Of course, it is fantastic if you are true to your vision and the film does well. This will help you make the film you want and bring change in society.” The filmmaker says she chose big names for The Sky is Pink as the script demanded it. “Priyanka was always my first choice. She suits the character really well. The film is based on a true story. The script was first picked by producer Siddharth Roy Kapur and he was on the same page as far as casting went,” Shonali says.

The film is reportedly based on the life of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Shonali says the film is a love story of Aisha’s parents. “Pulmonary fibrosis is a part of the film. It is a true story and it is the journey of how you deal with it,” she adds.