NEW DELHI: Screenwriter Kanika Dhillon says her bond with actor and frequent collaborator Taapsee Pannu is rooted in friendship and a shared love for taking creative risks. The duo are set to reunite for their sixth project, Gandhari, an action thriller exploring the profound bond between mother and child.
“It is based on our great friendship, we share understanding, we both are risk-takers, be it Rumi from Manmarziyaan or Rani from Haseen Dillruba or now an action film. We love to take the risk and we usually get a lot of love from the audience whenever we collaborate.
“There are a lot of things that cement our relationship and Gandhari being our sixth collaboration together, I think it is the testimony to trust, to faith, and the love that we kind of bought for our partnership over the years,” Dhillon told PTI in an interview.
The writer-actor duo first worked together in 2018's Manmarziyaan, followed by Haseen Dillruba, its sequel Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, Rashmi Rocket, and Dunki.
Directed by Devashish Makhija, Gandhari is described as an action revenge drama driven by a mother’s fierce determination to protect her child.
“Gandhari is an action revenge drama. A mother's quest to safeguard her child. When we have launched the title that a mother will not hesitate to turn into her fiercest form if she has to protect her child. So that is an emotion that Gandhari is driven by.
“This is the first action film that I am doing with Taapsee. We have a stellar team, we have a director, we have a lot of talent. I am very happy that we have all of them come together for my second production (after Do Patti),” she added.
Dhillon, who is also producing the film under her banner Kattha Pictures, said storytelling has always remained the focus of her work.
“Kattha Pictures, in the name itself, is centred around storytelling, where the story is the star and in the spotlight. It is for storytellers, by storytellers and it revolves around emotional and genuine stories. My aim is to be able to tell these different kinds of stories and to have storytellers,” she said.
“There are stars and then there are a lot of other factors but the story is somewhere that needs to be highlighted a little more. As a storyteller, (I want) to be able to build a production house that is very story forward and empowers other storytellers to come forward, tell stories, and reach an audience for them... That’s the goal of Kattha Pictures,” she added.
Dhillon also said she is keen to explore comedy next.
“I haven't done out-and-out comedies and I really want to do that now. I get really excited about characters, stories and genres. (But) it’s not about the genre, it's about the character I am in love with right now and what it is I am feeling like writing,” she said.
She is currently working on a couple of theatrical releases, including a thriller and a comedy.