Producer Prerna Arora: I believe in Bimal Roy's school of films

Picture courtesy/Prerna Arora Instagram account

Producer Prerna Arora, whose latest project "Pad Man" gives a message on menstrual hygiene, says she believes in the kind of cinema that late filmmaker Bimal Roy is known for. Arora, who spearheads Kriarj Entertainment Pvt Ltd, has a knack of backing films with socially relevant subjects. "Toilet - Ek Prem Katha" was a case in point. "I don't want to follow usual path like everyone else. I want to create my own identity because then I feel you can be noticed by people.

"Film industry is a very competitive field and more than that, I have always believed in Bimal Roy's school of films. He always backed films like 'Sujata' or 'Bandini' which were socially relevant at that point. I have always been in awe of his style of filmmaking and wanted to follow his path," she said in an interview here. Arora also said she is a little compassionate and has a soft heart.

"Firstly, I strongly feel about subject. I think I am a little compassionate and have a soft heart. I feel I should be in position where I can reach out to lot of people in my capacity. So when I heard the story of 'Pad Man' from Akshay Kumar sir, that time I wasn't moved with the story but I was moved with reality of it. "Menstruation is a really relevant subject in women's day-to-day life and the same was with 'Toilet - Ek Prem Katha' which dealt with sanitation facility issue in India's urban and rural areas. That's the reason I thought I should back such real and inspiring stories." What kind of a social change does she foresee after "Pad Man"?

"When men will watch this movie either with their daughters or wife or girlfriend, I think they will realise the hardships women go through during that phase and they will really value what women do and how they take care of their family, as generally, women don't express their problems openly. So these things moved me personally and I feel people will also relate to it."

Arora is also planning a remake of the critically acclaimed movie "Raat Aur Din" (1967), which starred Nargis Dutt, Pradeep Kumar and Feroz Khan. On that, she said: "I am in discussion with Abbas-Mustan for that film. We would love to collaborate with each other. In 'Raat Aur Din', there was suppression of a woman into an expression because most often, there used to be complexity in women's mind and that's why film like 'Raat Aur Din' came out, so I think it is about freedom of expression through 'Raat Aur Din'."

Presently, Arora is working on close to eight films, including "Pari", "Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran", "Kedarnath", "Fanne Khan" and "Batti Gul Meter Chalu". Doesn't she feel the pressure with this kind of work load? "I think I have just lost touch with myself."

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