MUMBAI: Alankrita Shrivastava's filmography boasts of strong female characters, and the director says she always wanted to keep women at the centre of her stories.
Her directorial debut "Turning 30" was a heartwarming tale of a single woman's journey of finding herself, which she followed it up with "Lipstick Under My Burkha" that revolved around the lives of four women and their search for freedom.
Now in her forthcoming film "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare", she attempts to explore the moral ambiguity a woman faces.
"I am a proud feminist. All my work is extremely feminist whether it was 'Turning 30' or 'Lipstick' or 'Made in Heaven' or 'Dolly Kitty'. Women should own feminism because it means men and women should have equal rights and equal opportunities. Women should have the right to live their own life and fulfil their dreams and desires regardless of any moral judgement and even 'Dolly Kitty' is about that," Alankrita told PTI in an interview.
"Women should not be second class They are equally human and why should their life and vanity be less valuable than a man?" she asks.
The director says she does not try too hard to put a women-angle in her films and feminism comes inherently to her work.
"That comes if you are honest as a creator be it as a writer or director, I don't think I have to do something feminist, it just comes. I feel feminism is inherent in my work because I believe women are equal. I want to give them certain dignity, space, well roundness and I want to shoot them in a certain way and see how they look at the world. It is not about making a feminist film. If you believe in equality then it comes in your work."
She believes more stories about women should be explored on the big screen and for that, Alankrita says there is a need for more female filmmakers.
"Right now, I feel the films that are made with women are either heroic or whatever so there is not enough space for a real or grey female character. They are putting women on some kind of pedestal so they are not giving them enough space to breathe as real characters. So if more women filmmakers are there it will bring diversity and the kind of characters that they will play."
Alankrita says in "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare" she deals with freedom for women, which she believes is a universal idea.
Starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar, the film is about two cousins, who, through their love-hate relationship, enable each other to find freedom.
The film recently had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival and the director is happy with the response.
"The audience was so warm, receptive and diverse, they understood the film. It was so heartwarming. It feels good that people from other countries are connecting to it, it translated cross-culture and that it is fulfilling," Alankrita adds.
The director further says the film's USP is its real and honest approach.
"I have lived with this space and characters for some time. My mother lives in Delhi so the setting and space is familiar, the whole suburban life and the urbanisation and seeing people make their living in that kind of city and what happens."
