Meghna Gulzar talks about her film Chhapaak and moreA story needs to be told

Meghna Gulzar’s films Taalvar and Raazi have won critical acclaim. She is now all set for the release of Chhapaak, starring Deepika Padukone and Vikrant Massey. The film will hit silver screen on January 10. The ever-graceful Meghna speaks to Tribune Lifestyle and shares her journey as a director, talks about her family and her legendary father, Gulzar.

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What prompted you to take up Laxmi Agarwal’s case and make Chhapaak?

I read all the articles related to her and realised acid attacks are happening as rampantly as rape. This aspect got my attention. There is not enough awareness. Once I started digging into all the articles, the first case that drew my attention was Laxmi Agarwal’s case. Her story has been a landmark for various reasons and is a known face today. Thus I chose her story.

Your husband is co-producing the film. Was convincing him tough?

Back in 2016 when we decided to make this film, we both knew that we are co-producing this. We are also fortunate that a studio like Fox and even Deepika Padukone came on board as a producer.

Preparing for such an intense film must have been difficult?

The first task was to convince Laxmi. We had to earn her trust and get her approval. We had to assure her that we will handle her story very sensitively. The next job was to create the story based on everything that was available on public domain. My co-writer Atika Chauhan and I created the structure. We also spoke to Alok, Laxmi’s partner, went to his NGO in Noida and spoke to many acid survivors. For a subject as sensitive as this, you have to do a lot of research. There is no avoiding hard work.

Getting Deepika on board to play the lead must have helped your cause.

Definitely! When an actress like Deepika plays a real-life character like Laxmi, all her fans and admirers appreciate the subject all the more. But for me the first most important factor was the striking similarity between Laxmi and Deepika. If you see Laxmi before acid attack and 22-year-old Deepika, the similarity is uncanny. Deepika is an epitome of beauty so when we distort a beautiful face like her the impact on the audience is much more.

You have been in the industry for 18 years now. Why have you been so selective about the films you have made?

I didn’t make few films by choice! When your film doesn’t work it is difficult for you to make your next film. A big gap between my films also happened because of my son. I did not want to be an absentee mother. Now, he is grown up and my absence will not affect him. Samay is 10 now and I feel I am blessed to have a husband, who supports and understands my profession.

While working on an intense film like Chhapaak, how did you unwind yourself post pack-up?

I don’t unwind till the time my film is released. Once I see the final cut of my film, I am relieved but my responsibility continues till the release of my film. I don’t switch off but I don’t react emotionally. The subject is so sensitive that you cannot be manipulative.

Will you ever make a remake of your father’s films?

No, never. I think classics should remain like that. They should not be touched either by me or anyone else. Whether it is a film, literature, music or art, it should not be touched. If you want to show any of this to the young generation, please show them the originals.

How will you define Deepika Padukone, the actress?

She is amazing. You will see a completely different side of her in the film. Emotionally, this film was very tough for Deepika. I respect her guts because she is claustrophobic and wearing the mask for long hours was not easy for her. But she was not bothered about her discomfort while shooting. The show went on!