Women behind the cinema

Guneet Monga, Dolly Thakore, Jabeen Merchant, Pubali Chaudhuri

What do Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, Vicky Donor and Piku have in common? Each of them had a young and talented woman playing a pivotal role behind the camera. From editing to cinematography, script to camera, they have owned their place in the ecosystem and now are raising its standards.

Guneet Monga

Now, to commemorate the 11th anniversary of Laadli, the Girl Child campaign by Population First, Avid Learning will hold a talk with CEO at Anurag Kashyap Films, Guneet Monga, screenwriter, Juhi Chaturvedi, screenwriter, Pubali Chaudhuri, film editor, Jabeen Merchant and film director of Nil Battey Sannaata, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari with veteran theatre Actress and casting director, Dolly Thakore. Asad Lalljee, CEO, Avid Learning, says that it is a part of talks on social change. "This talk is particularly interesting because it involves women who are changing cinema by taking up predominantly male spaces," he explains.

Guneet Monga

And adds that, it was a conscious decision to not opt for an actor in this talk, "We have not included an actor because there have always been women on screen, but it is behind the screen where the change is finally coming along. These filmmakers have made films like Gangs of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox which have made waves in recent years. It is this difference in perspective that we aim to explore," says Lalljee Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari A gold medalist from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai, Ashwiny spent 16 years in advertising. She won several awards from Cannes Lions, New York festival, One show, Clio, D&AD and one national award for her short Film. Her current film Nil Battey Sannata got rave reviews.

Jabeen Merchant

Guneet Monga
Voted as one of the top 12 women achievers in the Global Entertainment industry by The Hollywood Reporter, Monga is a game-changer in Indian cinema. In 2013, she produced the The Lunchbox that became a global sensation, garnering 23m USD and earning the film a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Film. Monga's latest film Masaan, won the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes.

Pubali Chaudhuri

Juhi Chaturvedi
Chaturvedi is the story, screenplay and dialogue writer of movies Vicky Donor and recently released PIKU. In addition, she has written dialogues for Khubsoorat and critically acclaimed film Madras Café.

Pubali Chaudhuri
The writer of award-winning films like Rock On and Kai Po Che. Pubali has lately been working in close tandem with producers Farhan Akhtar and Riteish Sidhwani for Rock On 2.

Jabeen Merchant
Jabeen is a trained as a film editor at the FTII, Pune. Many of the films that Jabeen has edited have feminist themes, including Un-Limited Girls, a film that mixes documentary and fiction to present a history of the Indian women's movement. Her recently-released fiction feature film was the dark thriller NH10, which co-incidentally also centres around a strong woman lead character.

Dolly Thakore
Thakore is a veteran Indian theatre actress and casting director. The Vagina Monologues has been playing in India since March 2003, and Thakore has been a part of the cast since its inception. Familiar on Indian television as a newscaster and host, she is also a columnist and film and theatre reviewer.