‘Women filmmakers have it tougher’

Director Ruchi Narain says it is difficult for independent women filmmakers to survive in the industry if they do not have a strong backing from a male star.

Ruchi has assisted Sudhir Mishra and written the screenplay for Mishra’s films such as Calcutta Mail (2003) and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005).

In her over two-decade long career, Ruchi has helmed two films — the critically acclaimed Kal: Yesterday And Tomorrow (2005) and Hanuman Da Damdaar (2017).

“It is harder for a woman filmmaker who does not have strong male backing. It is harder for me,” says Ruchi.

The director, who has been moderating sessions on #MeToo movement at a film festival in Mumbai, believes nepotism is a societal issue and says such problems should be seriously dealt with.

“It (issue of nepotism) will come up because you have to discuss equal opportunities. Patriarchy, feudalism, entitlement, misogyny... should be dealt. These issues are not with Bollywood alone, this is an Indian society problem as well,” she says.

Ruchi says she has not made feature films for a long time because of the struggle to make one.

“Of course I want to make films, I work very hard for it to happen. I do feel bad, other men are not as talented and their scripts are cleared. When I narrate my script to people they say they love it but I wonder why they are not making it,” she says. Besides, Ruchi adds the kind of films she was making were not spinning money at the box office, so “I started doing ad films, I have my own production house”. In the meantime, she continues to pen stories and is hopeful things will work in her favour as the tide is changing in the film industry, when it comes to content driven cinema.

Director Ruchi Narain made Hanuman Da Damdaar