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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 | The Indian Eye 26

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

‘It is really to show a mirror to our own

selves and the society that we live in’

Iconic actor Nandita Das talks about making Zwigato

RENU MEHTA
Toronto
wigato is director Nandi-
ta Das’ third feature af-
Zter Firaaq (TIFF ’08) and Man-
to (TIFF ’18) that was showcased at
the Toronto International Film Festi-
val (TIFF). With a storied acting ca-
reer, having worked with filmmakers
like Deepa Mehta, Mrinal Sen, and
Shyam Benegal, this latest feature is
set in Bhubhaneshpur and focuses on
the tight margins of the gig economy.
The film stars Kapil Sharma and Sha-
hana Goswami.
The story captures an everyday
man who is a delivery man and gets
enmeshed in the daily grind of rat-
ings and delivery quotas, making the
audience think about workers’ rights
and the way they live their life. is and every film has to be different.
The concerns remain the same. It is
What inspired the film?
It was Covid time and there was really to show a mirror to our own
contactless delivery for our conve- selves and the society that we live in
and to make films that are relevant
niences. There were lot of people to our times.
who were working but they were
completely invisible and I just felt Why did you select Bhubaneshwar for
that there are lot of stories out there. the story?
And when we actually started talking I was quite clear that I wanted
to them, I felt that I could write some- a two tier city and not one of those
thing. I did a short script and I took it Metros. Because in a two-tiered city,
to Applause Entertainment and the there is a mashup of traditional and
CEO Samir Nair said no, this merits modernity. So you have the malls
a feature film length. And when I and the high rises, but you also have
did, I realized there really was a story the small lanes and Bhubaneshwar is
that needed to be told of new India, a temple town. Visually also it is an
of the relentlessness of life, of those interesting place. My father comes
who are hidden in plain sight, to just from there. We have so much diver-
make us aware of their conscious ex- sity in the country and like someone
istence, to their contribution to our asked why Bhubaneshwar and I said
life, to their struggles, to their fears. why not Bhubaneshwar.
I think that is how we create empathy About women centric films?
through cinema by telling stories of Only when there is a woman pro-
people that we don’t get to see.
tagonist, we think it’s a woman cen-
Tell us about the film tric film which I don’t think is true. I
I wanted to do something small think it’s how you treat woman char-
and simple after my first two fea- acters in a film. It’s not the length of
tures, but no film is really small and the role but what nuance, what lay-
simple because you have many chal- ers you give to the film. How do you
lenges of different kinds. And of make women vulnerable and strong
course the treatment of each film at the same time and bring in those
varies depending on what the subject layers is what matters!

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