Last year marked a new phase for Indian cinema as following the footsteps of actresses like Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone, many more leading actresses like Taapsee Pannu, Kangana Ranaut and Alia Bhatt stepped into production as well. I feel great seeing more and more women taking charge as I believe their perspective will make way for many more unique stories that need to see the light of the day. Joining this list, Kirti Kulhari also turned producer this year with her production house, Kitsukuroi Films.
The actress’ maiden production is titled Nayeka, and it is a dark comedy thriller. It also features Kirti in the lead along with Sharad Kelkar and went on floors on January 2. As I ask her about this new phase of her career, Kirti gets real excited, revealing that it was one-and-a-half years ago that the seed of production was planted in her mind.
She says,
“Honestly, I never thought of becoming a producer. Acting kar leti wahi badi baat thi. But in the last one and a half years, the kind of work that I had done and the way it was received, shows that the market has opened up to good content. Now it truly feels that content is the king. If you have a good story to tell, there is an audience for it. So, all these things motivated me to push myself and take things to a place where I take charge in a way that I bring all these people together who want to tell a good story. And it just felt that I could do it now. I don’t know how this journey is going to be, but I am thrilled to have taken this step.”
Turning a producer has changed Kirti’s lookout on the process of filmmaking and the actress has observed and acknowledged that in herself.
Kirti shares,
“Since the idea of turning a producer came into my mind one-and-a-half years ago, I have actually started observing so much more in terms of what happens on the set, what are the different departments like and what problems they face. I started connecting a lot with the direction, production and styling team and it’s really an eye-opener. I really wanted to be an assistant director as I always wanted to be behind the camera and see how everything is done. That couldn’t happen but now being a producer will give me that chance of looking at filmmaking from every perspective.”
She adds that the process of turning a producer has made her a better human being too.
The actress insists,
“When you start understanding someone else’s problems, even if they are towards the same goal, you start becoming more empathetic and adjusting. You start getting others point of views and become adaptive, and that’s an amazing quality to have.”
It’s exciting to see women taking charge in the Hindi film industry and I am certain that this will bring a new wave of change in Hindi cinema that it really needs. For now, I am excited to see Kirti return to the comedy space in Nayeka after giving some impactful intense roles, and I am sure that she will nail this one as well.