Mumbai: Nandita Das’ latest film, Zwigato made its Los Angeles premiere on 19 April 2023, at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, sponsored by Indian Film Festival Los Angeles.
Das brings her characteristic compassion, insight and perception to her latest directorial feature. Zwigato captures the lives of Manas (Kapil Sharma) and his wife, Pratima (Shahana Goswami), the everyday “invisible people” that struggle to provide for their families while sharing little dreams but also unexpected joys as their everyday waking moments have been turned into mere tools for profit as part of the emerging gig economy. The film is both absorbing and effective in its delivery.
Nandita Das has acted in over 40 feature films in ten different languages including in the films Fire, Earth, Bawandar, Kannathil, Muthamittal, Azhagi, Kamli and Before The Rains.
Her directorial debut in 2008 was Firaaq that captures the aftermath of a carnage. The film garnered many accolades and much appreciation, both in India and abroad. Manto, her second directorial feature is based on the four most tumultuous years in the life of Saadat Hasan Manto, the Urdu writer of the 1940s. The film premiered in 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival. Her first book, Manto & I chronicles her six-year-long journey of making the film.
Das has been recognised not only as an actor and director but also a socially conscious filmmaker. In 2011, She was made Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Government, one of the nation’s highest civilian awards. She was commended for her “contribution towards the development of Indo-French cooperation in the field of cinema.”
She also was the first Indian inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the International Women’s Forum in Washington, DC. She was recognised in 2011 for “her sustained contributions to the arts and to the world as one of the most gripping cinema arts leaders of our time.”
Das is a strong advocate for social justice. In 2016, she founded Nandita Das Initiatives (NDI), a creative platform which she directed and produced shorts such as India’s Got Colour and Listen to Her, that shed light on pertinent social issues.
Indiantelevision.com caught up with Nandita Das during her Los Angeles visit and sat down with her for this fascinating interview on topics ranging from her early start in acting to her latest directorial work, Zwigato.
Edited Excerpts
On your path to becoming an actor, how did you transition from working in social work with NGOs?
A Masters in Social Work exposes you to multiple different realities. I worked with a couple of NGOs and learned so much about human experiences and contexts I was not so familiar with. But before that, in college, I was already performing as an actor with Safdar Hashmi and his street theatre group, Jan Natya Manch. We would take up social issues and convey them through the medium of theatre.
I was not looking to become an actor professionally but I met Prakash Jha and he offered me a guest appearance that was pivotal to his film, Parinati. I took up the role for the experience of it. It was amazing to play this intense character in the freezing cold desert of Rajasthan.
However, for several years after that, I had no idea that I would act in more films. That’s why I consider Fire to be my first film as that was the film that actually then began my journey as an actor.
On portraying intense characters in films such as Fire, Earth, Bawandar and Before The Rains, what is your process for preparing for such roles?
In the last 26 years, I have done more than 40 feature films in 10 different languages and I have loved being a part of so many different stories, shot in quaint places in the country and met people who have enriched my life.
I have been fortunate to have worked with directors like Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Rituporno Ghosh, Mani Ratnam and many others. I am not a trained actor, director, producer or writer. So, I mostly work with my instinct, dipping into my life experiences and observations that has over the years become an impulse.
On being a vocal advocate for social justice and human rights, could you share how the idea for producing the India’s Got Colour PSA music video addressing the issue of colourism originated, and what is the current status of the campaign?
The “Dark Is Beautiful” campaign started in 2013. It originated earlier, however, in 2009 by a Chennai-based NGO called “Women Of Worth.” Over the years, the importance of addressing the issue of skin colour bias has only increased. In the 10th year of the campaign, I strongly felt that it was time that words such as “dark” and “beautiful” should not be further reinforced. And so, I thought it would be good to make something that would trigger conversations among the youth and reflect the diversity this country has, and so I, along with Ad filmmaker, Mahesh Mathai, came up with a music video idea called, India’s Got Colour.
We felt that it is the young who will change the public discourse around it and can make a tangible difference. The PSA was a small step towards changing at least the narrative around colourism to a more holistic celebration of diversity. After all, we are 1.3 billion people and have many shades of skin tones!
I have often said that this campaign belongs to everyone and I am glad that people are owning it and taking it forward in the way that they can. I have done what I could and will continue to share it and trigger conversations around it. But finally, the change will happen when more and more people add their voice to it. Many international organisations and media houses have reached out to me to further this conversation.
So, this issue is not just in India but in many more countries all over the world.
On dedicating your book, Manto & I, to the “Mantos of the World,” who are the “Mantos” of the world today, and why are they so important to you?
Yes, there are many “Mantos” in the world and I have been fortunate to have met many such people throughout my journey. Those who have Mantoiyat, by that I mean, the courage to follow their convictions. I grew up with a very Mantoesque father. In fact the similarities between him and Manto are uncanny and many! Misfit, misunderstood, mavericks! There are activists, journalists, artists, people in various fields, who intrinsically care about the world they live in and create their own path against all odds.
On balancing the need to address important social and political issues in your films with creating engaging and entertaining content, how have you managed to achieve this without being didactic or preachy?
In fact, being didactic or preachy will defeat the very purpose of communicating the concern one is intending to convey in the film. Stories are very powerful and they only reach the audiences when it is told in a way that appeals both to the mind and the heart. At the end of the day it needs to be an engaging story but it can also move people, create empathy, and challenge prejudices. Having said that, every audience is different. Who takes what from a film is very subjective. So one can only be true and honest to one’s own way of telling stories.
On describing your initial experience as a director for Firaaq as cathartic, what emotions did you feel, and how did the story affect you? Additionally, what, in your opinion, are some of the crucial qualities that a director must have?
Every film in some way is cathartic because you get an opportunity to communicate to a larger audience the things that you care about. Firaaq was soon after the Gujarat riots. I have always wondered what lingers on when actual acts of violence end. And that is what the film explored.
A director is the one that not only has the vision but makes sure it is implemented by each and every person in the team. So, you need to be a team player and know that it is a collaborative process. Someone who respects other people’s talents and views and at the same time is able to make the right choices and decisions, and there are many to be made. It is not a power game and one is not at the top of the pyramid. At least, that is not how I see the role of a director. Also, I am a very hands-on director. I enjoy and engage in every aspect of filmmaking. Films are a director’s medium and all said and done, they are the captain of that ship!
On the biggest challenges facing women in the film industry today, what advice would you give to overcome them?
The film industry is no different from other fields in society. The discrimination, prejudices, biases in life are reflected in different workspaces too. While the number of women directors is increasing, we are still very few.
Generally, there is a perception about the kind of stories that women should tell and how much money should be spent on their stories! It is still a predominantly male industry, where men control the money, the strategies and the stories. It is tiring to constantly have to prove your place in the world. Though I’ve seen a significant change since my first film in 2008 when I directed Firaaq. I see a lot of young women on set in various departments and I’m sure that in 10 years we will see this change much more.
I think women open doors for other women. So never hesitate to ask for help. You will find plenty of it around you!
On the decision-making process of turning Zwigato into a full-length feature instead of its original plan as a 20-minute short
The idea of this film started with a discussion about growing unemployment and the complexity of gig work with my publisher friend Samir Patil. We then began writing a short film about a day in the life of a delivery rider. Then Sameer (Nair), CEO of Applause Entertainment, who was to produce it, nudged me to expand it for a feature film. Initially, I felt the subject would not immerse me enough, but as I began to delve deeper into it, I was drawn to the human aspects of this collision of new technology and the life of the workers, who are just a cog in the wheel.
With the rise of the gig economy, the struggle between man and machine that Chaplin depicted in Modern Times has now shifted to one between man and algorithms.
The research process for the film took about two years. We gathered facts as well as personal stories by interviewing many riders. Their struggles, dilemmas, fears and aspirations helped me understand their world closely. We also spoke to ex-employees of food delivery companies and in confidence, also with senior managers in analytics departments of food delivery apps. While all of it is not in the film, it was important to understand how things work in the gig economy.
But finally it is a human story. That is why the viewer connects with it. The mind and heart must come together for a film to really impact the viewer in a deeper way.
On giving advice to a young filmmaker in India who aspires to follow in your footsteps, what guidance would you offer?
I would just tell young filmmakers to observe life, people, their surroundings and care about what they see. Never hesitate to throw yourselves into different experiences. Ask yourself, “‘what are the stories that really matter to me?”
It is important to have a personal connection with the story as you will have to live with the film for a long time! A film requires the time, energy and money of many people that come together for it to become a reality. And therefore for me, it must have a deeper sense of purpose, something that you feel compelled to tell.
On something that not many people know about you, what is it, and on your motto or advice that you live by, what would it be? Also, what kind of legacy do you aspire to leave behind?
Something people don’t know about me…not a whole lot as I have been very open about my life. But not many may know that I love doing pottery and I am trying to learn badminton from my son!
I think I live by two simple mottos – one is “Love what you do and do what you love” and the other is “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”
These are two mantras that I often try to remind myself of. And why worry about leaving a legacy. We are all just drops in the ocean and I don’t take myself that seriously! As long as we live and work honestly, we can hope that it will inspire a few others. Just as many have inspired me. And if my work stands the test of time then I would think it was worth it. We all can create some ripples in the big wide ocean!
On upcoming projects, is there anything that you would like to share or discuss?
Now that I have embraced direction less hesitatingly, I am going to be jumping into another film soon after. I have slowly begun working on a new project. But it is in its very early research and writing stage. I am also reading scripts that have come to me for acting.
There is no dearth of work, but not all of it is great. And it is one life, so I want to make sure I do things I feel happy doing. Over the years, and more so after the pandemic, I have also learnt not to plan too much and be open to surprises.