HYDERABAD: For Anusha Didige, the trajectory towards making her debut film, a documentary titled The Other Side, was pretty straightforward. The documentary delves into the lives of women working in the food and beverage industry across South India. Anusha herself worked in the industry, before moving to the world of films. “I followed my brother’s footsteps, who completed his Hotel Management in Switzerland and came back to India to start a bar. I worked there as a creative director.” tells Anusha.
In addition to her forays in business, the documentary (shot by Gargi-fame cinematographer Sraiyanti) is also shaped by the gaps of representation she deeply felt in the storytelling landscape. “We do not get to see the stories of women in the F&B industry that often; it is mostly seen as a boys’ club. But women from all walks of life, are working in the industry, some of whom I wanted to showcase in my film,” says Anusha.
She continues, “When we were figuring out who to profile in our documentary, we were asked to go to Mumbai or Delhi. We were told that is where you would find all these women working in restaurants. But I begged to differ. There is more to life than Mumbai and Delhi, which is why we handpicked interview subjects from cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Pondicherry.”
Anusha cites the legendary chef/documentarian Anthony Bourdain and The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution, a documentary series by Maya Gallus that profiles the careers of female chefs in the USA and France as inspirations for her film.
The documentary, which was shot in the middle of the pandemic, brought its fair share of challenges to the table. Anusha says, “In retrospect, all the challenges that came our way felt interesting and fun. The F&B industry took a hit during the pandemic. We did not want to give inconvenience to our interview subjects, which is why we filmed interviews during non-service hours. We also prioritised shooting on lighter days.”
The Other Side featured interview subjects from all walks of life. Speaking in detail about how she came in contact with the women profiled in the documentary, Anusha says, “During pre-production, when we gained some clarity on how to move forward and one of the first things I was certain about was the diversity. We did not want to merely focus on women working in the high-end side of the F&B spectrum. The pitch video then helped us get more interviewees. The college canteen owner we spoke to in Bengaluru worked at our editor’s alma mater. A common friend connected us to Candice, the Malaysian national who ran Chinita, a Mexican restaurant, and so on. Acquaintances, past connections and even the aunty who makes my friend’s favourite bread pakodas in Secunderabad — that is how we found most of our guests.”
Speaking about what lies next for her, Anusha expresses a desire to explore the independent music industry through the documentary format and after a few years, balance documentaries with feature filmmaking.