New Delhi: Director Alankrita Srivastava says Gul Panag starrer `Turning 30` has many snippets from her own life as well as people around her.
The film, about an urban woman living in Mumbai and how her life takes a turn when she hits the age of 30, releases this Friday.
"A lot of me is there in the film. I was very clear that this is a story about people from my world. Not only me, I think a lot of women living in the cities will find snippets of their lives in the movie. It shows what a city girl`s life is like," Alankrita told reporters.
The debutant, who herself turned 30 while shooting the movie, worked as assistant director on Prakash Jha`s movies like `Gangaajal`, `Apaharan` and `Rajneeti`, before taking up the reins as a director.
But instead of following her mentor, Alankrita says she wanted to make cinema that was closer to the realities around her.
"I think it is very important to have your own voice. I really enjoyed assisting on those films but it is not my voice. Thankfully, Prakashji never expected a clone of his movies, which is the case with many first time directors. He wanted me to make something which was true to me," she says.
The film may draw comparison`s to Hollywood chick flicks, a genre which is relatively new to Indian cinema. Alankrita admits that there is not much support for stories which are told from a woman`s perspective in Bollywood.
"I think it is very hard to find support for a fresh perspective in cinema. There are not many films on women, who explore the subject without being judgemental. This is something I would like to do in my next movies too," says Alankrita.
The first timer found support from Prakash Jha, who liked the script and decided to finance it.
"I had told him about the idea and it was an obvious choice for me. I knew that he would not question the urban setting and the lack of hero in the movie and I was right.
He really encouraged me and told me not to make any compromises," she says.
Since the film is mostly about women, told through a woman, it was hard to find male lead for the movie. Alankrita says Purab Kohli was initially reluctant to do the movie.
"Purab did not want to do it first time but finally we discussed and he agreed. He was my first choice for the role. However, finding the perfect female protagonist was a challenge," she says.
Asked about her future plans, Alankirta says she will continue to be a part of Jha`s production house and will start writing her next story.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.