In the 80s and 90s we never saw consent in Bollywood films, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar

Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar is currently working on Bollywood's adaptation of the The Archies and while her recent project is a live-action musical that revolves around progressive characters, she believes Bollywood hasn't always been open to diversity and representation.

In a recent interview with The Hindu, Akhtar not only talked about her upcoming project but representation as a whole. She said, "Representation is when your identity or personality is validated in any kind of popular culture. It is not just women; other communities, disabilities and even men are also represented badly many times."

She added, "In the 80s and 90s, you never saw tenderness, you never saw consent. But we had molestation scenes. That affects the psyche of a nation. You saw women that had no right to express how they felt, and that definitely makes a difference. So how you’re representing is key, as people need to know they’re not alone."

"I’m born and brought up in India, but I have come from one corner of this society. If I don’t see someone like myself out there, then there’s no paradigm for me and I’m going to feel isolated. I’ll feel alone, like I don’t belong or fit. I will look at myself as an anomaly — but I’m not — there are many women like me."

Akhtar says she's very excited for The Archies*. She told the publication that she is "excited to have the chance to bring the comics to life" as they were a large part of her childhood and teenage years. "The characters are iconic and globally loved, which is also why I am a little nervous. I have to make sure the film stokes the nostalgia of a generation that grew up on the comic, and yet resonates with young adults today."

OTT giant Netflix has partnered with the Gully Boy filmmaker for a desi version of Archie Comics starring Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, late actor Sridevi's daughter Khushi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda. The other four actors are Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina. The musical is slated to release next year.