Director Manish Mundra Opens Up On His Experience Working On `Siya,` Says `One Shall Never Underestimate The Audience`

New Delhi: Zee5 recent release 'Siya' tells the tale of a small-town girl who despite all hurdles, decides to take down the oppressive patriarchy and fight for justice. The film stars Pooja Pandey and Vineet Kumar Singh, both of whom will be seen in completely new avatars as they bring life to these challenging characters. Director Manish Mundra shared some anecdotes regarding the film in an exclusive conversation, read on:

Ques: What was the most difficult part for you while shooting for Siya, and why?

Ans: The most difficult part was shooting a portion of the abduction drama where the survivor is abducted and kept in a room for 7 to 8 days, gang-raped and mentally tortured. It was very emotionally harrowing and mentally torturing to create those scenes where Pooja, our lead actress, who played the role of the survivor,  was chained and had to go through physical trauma. That mentally shook all of us, especially Pooja and I must appreciate her for going through all of that and yet playing the role so perfectly. That requires tremendous courage and willpower. For her as an actor to get in the skin of that girl was tough. That was the toughest part. 

Ques: Many people watch films as an escape from the real world; however, Siya brings the viewers closer to the real world. Do you think the audience is ready for a film like this?

Ans: One thing I always tell my team and fellow filmmakers is never to underestimate the audience. With the advent of global content and exposure of Indian audiences to global resources, they are maturing faster than the filmmakers themselves. The audience is ready. The question is how ready we are as filmmakers to give content that the audience is demanding or even move ahead of the curve and deliver what is expected. The challenge is on us, not the audience. 

Ques: Siya is close to home and incorporates scenes that almost mirror the society at large. How do you think films like Siya impact the viewers?

Ans: I believe that films like Siya, which depict societal realities and mirror prevalent issues, have a significant impact on viewers. By presenting compelling narratives, these films raise awareness and prompt discussions about pertinent social issues. Siya aims to provoke empathy and understanding, ultimately contributing to a more compassionate and aware society. The global content depicting the layers of realistic cinema has indeed been very impactful and Siya attempts to do the same. 

Ques: In hindsight, anything you would have done differently when it comes to the making of Siya?

Ans: This, being my first film as a director, brought major learning points for me. There’s one important thing that I learnt at the end of edit. I shot about 50 minutes of the film extra which did not find a place at the end of the final edit.  That means about 7 to 8 days of extra shooting. That not only brought extra cost but also robbed my time as a filmmaker. So, I realised that I should sit with the editor upfront for three days even before the storyboarding, and go through the film and describe and narrate the film to him and understand what is important and what to cut right then rather than doing the shoot and then cutting it. That would save time and help me focus on things that are more important.

Drishyam Films is the film's producer, and Vineet Kumar Singh and Pooja Pandey, who is making her acting debut, play the key characters.