Rhea Kapoor on Thank You For Coming: It’s like the Hangover, but for orgasms

In Thank You for Coming, Bhumi Pednekar plays Kanika, a woman in search for the man who gave her, her first orgasm

When I was wondering who to go with my three-page pitch, I could only think of Rhea [Kapoor]," says screenwriter Radhika Anand, "My idea was so ridiculous that I didn't think any other producer [other] than her would have the ba''s to even hear it out. It was love at first sight." That pitch manifested into Thank You for Coming, which released this Friday.

Starring Bhumi Pednekar and a host of social media creators such as Kusha Kapila and Dolly Alhuwalia, the film directed by Karan Boolani and produced by Rhea Kapoor is about women and their search for the elusive orgasm. "You were so happy last night [at the premiere]," Kapoor squeals excitedly at Anand, who has also written 2023's Shilpa Shetty Kundra-starrer Sukhee. "I was going through a moment after Veere Di Wedding. I don't even do that much press… you know me, you guys have seen me grow up since Aisha. I can't make movies as projects or to make money," says Kapoor. "I want my audiences to have fun, but the movies always have to have some intent. I can't change my wiring; the only thing that keeps me sane is knowing I am being true to my heart. Radhika's idea made me feel excitement and fear. I thought ‘OMG, this is the next step'.

"We needed to speak about this conflict between knowing better and your conditioning - [between] what you are supposed to do, ought to do, and want to do. This movie is like the Hangover, but for orgasms. And Radhika came from a very honest space."

Radhika Anand, writer, Karan Boolani and Rhea Kapoor

Kapoor, who has produced Aisha (2010), Khoobsurat (2014) and Veere Di Wedding (2018) has a knack for making it flamboyant yet keeping it real. This is also the first film that doesn't star her sister, Sonam; but it is the directorial debut of her husband, Boolani who comes from advertising. He has directed ads for Pepsi and Google, and also made the documentary, The Healing Feeling. When we ask Boolani how he prepared himself to direct a female sex comedy written by two women, produced by a woman, and about the female orgasm, he laughs, "I know less about women now!" But quickly adds, "It was like directing any other movie. In the end, it's filmmaking.

It's storytelling, and it's a script. You always look to empathise with the characters. That's what I did. It's my first film so I was discovering myself and the tools available to me. And I leaned on my writers and producers for their expertise."

He admits to have been party to a lot of girl talk, thanks to hanging out with the Kapoor sisters, and their gal pals, which include designer-actor Masaba Gupta and food entrepreneur Pooja Dhingra. Kapoor confesses that the conversations she had with her single friends during the pandemic added to the core of the movie. "The movie is about connections and relationships - with others and yourself - and sex is a big part of that. This is the story of every girl; this is how we feel. It's about looking in, and following your voice."

For Anand, the process of writing with women and for women was, "the most enriching part. Here was a female producer, and my co-writer was [stand-up comedienne] Prashasti Singh. We became a gang. A lot of it does come from personal experience… strange anecdotes from all our lives. For the first time, I didn't feel even a bit of hesitation for what I was saying in a scene because I knew they would understand." This is where Kapoor chimes in with a laugh, "Writing it was such a safe experience. It has been a masterclass in what it feels like to be a woman."

She is right.

We have gotten used to making male-centric sex comedies, usually starring even the same actors. Remember Tushar Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh in Kyaa
Kool Hai Hum? Anand's case in point: "We were very candid and raw. And yes, this is how women speak, no matter what you think!" It also doesn't stoop to male-bashing. "All the men who may have treated the main character badly, also have an arc. There is a reason why they are how they are," she says.

The ultimate vote of confidence for Boolani came when his mother, who is a cinema buff and watches a movie every Friday, liked it. "She sounded nervous, and I could feel that. But when we organised a screening for her and her friends, she said, ‘OK, this is great. I can ask everyone to see it.' That's when I smiled. Phew!"