Going for millennials

After the success of Potluck, director Rajshree Ojha on her next based on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility

Satiated with her fill of intense content in digital entertainment, director Rajshree Ojha took up SonyLIV’s Potluck to showcase a light-hearted family drama. While shooting during the pandemic brought its challenges, the director counts it as a blessing. “We had limited crew and everyone doubled up to do extra work. The bio-bubble helped the cast bond and get comfortable with each other because they had no choice, and that [camaraderie] translated on screen,” she says.

Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility; (right) Ira Dubey and Cyrus Sahukar in a still from Potluck

Since its release in September, Potluck has been widely appreciated. But Ojha has no time to bask in the adulation — she has already moved on to her next. The director, whose Aisha (2010) was based on Jane Austen’s Emma, has gone back to the author’s work. “Jane Austen has always been my favourite author. She is the quintessential rom-com queen in my head, and I love that space. I would love to adapt all her books into movies.” Her next will be based on Sense and Sensibility (1811), albeit with a twist. “My script is ready. I am now in talks with production houses and talent for the project. [While the core story remains the same], I will be telling it from a millennial girl’s perspective. The world and women’s mindset may have changed, but we’ll never stop wanting romance,” says Ojha.

Ang Lee’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility (1995) won writer-actor Emma Thompson an Academy Award. Ask her if she is ready for the brickbats, and Ojha says that it comes with the territory. “Criticism doesn’t deter me from doing what I want to do. I love Ang Lee as a filmmaker and storyteller. I can’t even compare. Furthermore, I am just trying to make a fun film,” she says.

Also read: Cyrus Sahukar: Lucky that I never had one specific profession

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