Director Sonam Nair, whose most recent project was the terrific Dupahiya Talks with Subhash K Jha about her debut feature film, the fabulous Gippi, which released 12 years ago.
Twelve years of Gippi?
Time has flown. I was 26 when I wrote the script and 28 when the film was released. I look back at that young girl with so much awe. I don’t know how she had the confidence to do this. Especially to make a such an honest, personal film without any fear and all heart. As the years have gone by, I have gotten so much love for Gippi. A whole generation of young girls have grown up watching it, and have seen themselves in it. Those girls are now young women, and they light up when they realise I made Gippi. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
How did the project come your way?
I had worked with Dharma on Wake Up Sid as Ayan Mukherji’s Director’s Assistant. That film was a big inspiration, and once it released I started developing my own script. I wrote Gippi and shared it with Ayan, who gave it to Karan Johar. Karan called me in after reading it and gave me the green light immediately. I will always be grateful to him for taking a chance on a newcomer with such a simple, non-starry script.
Was casting the young actors a problem?
I knew I wanted real children, not child actors. I went to several schools in Bombay, Delhi, and Shimla and found children who were close to the characters I had written, and did workshops with them. It was a bold choice to have children in my first film, when I don’t have the handle on directing quite yet. But we all worked with enthusiasm and honesty, and I think it shows on screen. We shot the film over a summer break in Shimla. It was like summer camp. The crew was very young too, and we all felt like we were making something special.
From Gippi to Dupahiya, what has the transition been like?
In these 12 years, I feel like I have grown a lot in terms of technical knowledge, but I miss the innocence of my early years. Thankfully, I have always done projects that are close to my heart and get me genuinely excited, and not bothered about trends or stars. I think that was because of Gippi. From Gippi to Masaba Masaba to Dupahiya, these are all projects with beautiful, layered characters and great messaging. I hope to continue to learn my craft and get better, while keeping my heart in the right place and prioritise good storytelling over anything else.
