'If given the right platform, the writers will soar'

Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha. Pic/Instagram

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have already greenlit their first movie, Girls Will Be Girls, under their newly launched banner, Pushing Buttons Studio. Even as the film is currently in pre-production under the supervision of Brooklyn-based director Shuchi Talati, the actor-producer duo have turned their attention on their next. Keen to give a platform to budding writers across the country, Chadha and Fazal have invited aspiring screenwriters to send their scripts to the studio, one of which will be chosen for their second project.

While the move helps bring in stories that are raw and realistic, Fazal emphasises that it will also provide an opportunity to writers from smaller towns to gain a foothold in the industry. "I believe there is no lack of talent, even in the remotest parts of our country. If given the right platform, the writers will soar," he says, before quipping, "So, we have set ourselves on a Salim-Javed hunt."

Chadha chimes in, "Ali and I are big fans of Malayalam and Assamese films. We hope to give a platform to creators from everywhere."