Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare follows two sisters breaking out of their respective boxes in northern India. Kajal (Bhumi Pednekar) moves in with her cousin, Dolly (Konkona Sensharma). Her independence is tested by life in the big city, but Dolly is supportive. Kajal, in turn, helps Dolly see the complacencies swamping her personal life.
As the story progresses, the sisters take up lovers – played by Vikrant Massey and Amol Parashar. Indian cinema, too, has seen a rise in male supporting turns as more female-driven narratives are made. “We have waited far too long for women’s stories to take charge,” says Massey, who’d also played the love interest in Chhapaak.
“We have been outright patriarchal and brushed issues related to women under the carpet. So it’s heartwarming to see people like Alankrita (Shrivastava), Konkona, Zoya (Akhtar) and Reema (Kagti) come out and tell stories that are equally important.
I am proud to be a part of this change.” Massey says the film doesn’t judge those who seek out companionship on online apps. “When it comes to platforms where you can interact with the opposite sex, Kajal says she wished such an app also existed for women.
There are just as many women as men, but their desires are never paid heed to.” In a jarring scene, Osman is harassed by goons for being Muslim. The moment mirrors an incident from 2019, where a man refused a Zomato delivery from a Muslim valet, but Parashar denies the film making any connection to it.
In another scene, Osman, a college-going kid, recites lines of William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence. He’s just made love to Dolly, and is lolling in bed. The scene, Parashar says, fleshes him out as a character – that he is more than just a suppressed young boy. “Often, as actors, we don’t see the depths a person can have. That scene brings out a different shade to Osman. It’s just a wholesome way of looking at people.”