Indian film industry is still very much sexist, says Mira Nair
Filmmaker Mira Nair says that despite the many advancements of Indian cinema, the industry is still "very much sexist".
Said the Monsoon Wedding director, "There are several more women directors and technicians in the Indian film industry than there are in the West. But, undoubtedly, it is still a very sexist industry in the way men refer to women or the way women are used in films here. I fear patriarchy is very much existent in the industry."
However, she's proud of the exceptional women who have forged their own way in male-dominated Bollywood.
"I was very thrilled to know that a film such as Bareilly Ki Barfi has been written and directed by a woman with such panache and grace. But I am sure it is not an easy task to make your way through in an essentially male dominated industry," she said, adding she had called Bareilly director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and met her.
Nair also had a grim opinion about the gorwing intolerance faced by Bollywood. Mira herself faced a backlash for her film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love that was banned in India for its erotic content and she condemned the protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat.
"I think the random instances of anybody making an objection to your film are getting more and more (hoarse) in India. It is a pretty terrible situation. Also, a draconian and sort of arbitrary level of censorship is going on. It is unfortunate."
"Although I believe negotiation can sometimes enhance creativity, it isn't exactly the recipe to nourish in a great country like ours, where any person can slap you up and burn you down. I deplore it. I really feel for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his work," said Nair.
Nair, who is currently busy in putting up the Broadway version of Monsoon Wedding, also revealed her plans about her next project.
"I'm just about to start a real dream project, an eight-hour film. I am going to start it in the middle of the year and I am very excited because I have been planning it for many years. The whole of it will be shot in India and, of course, with Indian actors," she smiled.
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