‘Ashutosh Gowarikar is a great human being’

Actor-producer Vishakha Singh tells SHALINI SAKSENA how she prefers to produce films now even though she acted in Fukrey Returns

An actor and now a producer. How did this happen?

It started off with acting — from 2008-10 when I was totally enamoured with the idea of films and pursued films, I was a model too. In the two-and-a-half years, I did five movies but non of them worked. When you do films you tend to evolve but when I did Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey with Ashutosh Gowarikar, it changed me. That was my most serious big budget commercial film even though it didn’t release in that genre. but when it didn't do well, it gave me a micro-perspective of the industry. Then I moved to London to work with my father and got into production. I figured that I was a different actor and decided to create content that I wanted to be part of. That is when I collaborated with Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga for Peddlers, then came Haraamkhor and in the next eight months I got an opportunity to be part of five films like Fukrey including a couple of South Indian films. And realised I enjoyed production than acting and now acting and production run parallel.

How has working with Anurag Kashyup and Ashutosh Gowarikar helped you professionally?

Every actor, producer and director worth salt with have ups and downs. Meeting these people has changed me a lot. Anurag inspired me in to be persistent and making your dreams comes to with your kind of cinema. The man who really changed me is Ashutosh Gowarikar. He is a gentleman. He is a very dignified human being, it is difficult to find people like him in the industry. He is a man who respects women. His style of working on the sets is different, you are exposed to a whole new culture.

What is Onaatah, that bagged the National Award, about?

The film is a story of a rape survivor. It is very close to my heart, not because it won a National Award but because it is a movie from the North-east and we just don’t expect films from this region. The director, who had earlier made an Assamese film that again won the National Award, decided to make a film on this subject, the story touched me deeply because a couple of my friends who are rape survivors. People expect these kind of films to be sad and only a woman director to touch upon this issue, but the beauty of this film is that it celebrates life and is uplifting.

Do you think that some films should only do festival circuit?

We are in the film business and second, every film has an audience. For example a film like Judwaa (2) will need a theatrical release and reach the masses — even the interior of the country. Films like an Onaatah or those that do festival circuits, they have a niche viewership, even the budget is small. As long as these films are able to reach their target audience, it makes absolute sense. Though a theatrical release is always a litmus test and end goal of any director. However, the lines are blurring between commercial and so called ‘art films’.

Is it correct to differentiate between the two?

To differentiate would not be made. After all, good content is good content and the audience has become smart. The younger generation are also watching international cinema and are open to ‘art films’.

Why say yes to Fukrey Returns?

I took this project more out of an emotional connect. Though I have been offered four films once I completed Fukrey Returns but I refused since I am busy with my tech company and production. Acting will happen only if I am offered something that really attracts me.

How do you choose your films?

The first, is to keep the costs low since it is the smart thing to do since I am trying to find my foot hold in the industry. Second, the content should attract me. But it should not be that only Vishakha Singh is watching the film. We have a team of script doctors ad have a marking system. After choosing a couple, we run past our family, friends and young people to get a feedback.