In Bollywood, struggles are real and for all

Strap: Author, screenwriter Kanika Dhillon talks about SSR, nepotism and earning credibility in Bollywood

Neha Saini

Kanika Dhillon has created rebellious and unconventional female characters with her stories in films. Whether it is Kedarnath or Manmarziyan or the quirky Jundgemental Hai Kya, her heroines are women happy to break stereotypes, her stories as intrepid as herself. But before the celebrated author turned screenwriter negotiated her way through Bollywood, Kanika had spent her own time as a ‘struggler’, getting glimpse of the its infamous underbelly.

“I spent two years working as an AD to several big directors, running like a headless chicken on sets, carrying print outs and running errands. I had come to Bollywood thinking that I will be learning the art of filmmaking from the masters, but none of it happened, at least not immediately. There were times I questioned what I was doing here with an educational background from St Stephens College and London School of Economics and then I decided to write a book about all this as I realized that the biggest stories were right in front of me, not on screen, but behind the screen,” said Kanika, while talking about her journey in a digital interaction.

The Amritsar born author’s debut book Bombay Duck is a Fish was a satire on filmy life, with star egos, professional rivalry and behind the scene stories.

Having worked with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput on Kedarnath, Kanika said that the news of his death was heartbreaking. “The news of his death cuts to the bone even now. He was multi-dimensional as an artiste and as a person, very intelligent and warm. I had immense respect for him, more so after I worked with him in Kedarnath. It was the one movie where I exactly had an actor in mind while writing the script and I was glad when he said yes to the film. In his own way, he contributed in shaping up the Mansoor you saw in the film.” In the same breath, she also shared that nepotism debate in Bollywood as relevant as in any other industry. “Of course, there is nepotism in the film industry; it is in every industry. Children of businessmen go into their parents’ business. They have it easier than the rank outsider but in the long run it is only talent that survives and thrives. Wasn’t Shah Rukh an outsider in the beginning? And he’s still a heartthrob, a darling of the masses! On the other hand, many star sons and daughters have failed in spite of everything.” Though she does agree that film industry is highly unorganized for an outsider, you have to hold your own and not give up despite all the adversities to make it big. “You have to earn the credibility to be taken seriously and that can be quite testing. I did not come with a filmy background or a degree in filmmaking. Being a woman writer, I also had to face challenges that most women in our country face, that being treated as second class citizens. So, it took quite some time for me to establish my credibility, to get people to take me seriously,” she shared. That she did and how!

Despite making Mumbai her new home, Kanika said she is quintessentially Punjabi. “You can take me out of Amritsar but you can never take Amritsar out of me,” she declared. The reason why Anurag Kashyap’s mother had told him after watching Manmarziyan that he had made a Punjabi film. “She had specifically told him this after hearing the dialogues in the film, which were mostly in Amritsari dialect and mannerisms. Usually, I refrain from using a lot of Punjabi phrases in my movies and give the characters the tone they require. A lot of research goes into capturing the dialect and nuances of language.”

She turned creative producer with Manmarziyan and her next titled Haseen Dilruba too will see her producing her script. “It’s a great way of owning your content, ensuring that your vision and verse are represented in the way you want to.”