Consequences matter, not causes

Nandita Das reveals why she chose to focus on the aftermath of the communal riots in Firaaq

Consequences matter, not causes

Nandita Das reveals why she chose to focus on the aftermath of the communal riots in Firaaqu00a0

Dressed in blue jeans and a beige shirt, Nandita Das looks relaxed on a Saturday afternoon. After wowing us with her stunning performance in Aks, Fire, 1947 Earth and Bawandar, the award-winning actress tried her hand at direction with Firaaq, and the rave reviews are poring in.

You look calm...very unlike a first-time director. What's the secret?
There's no point in getting worked up. I would rather sit back and relax now that the film is out there for people to see. I am not someone who can go visiting theatres for audience feedback. That would be very draining.u00a0u00a0

Did you have a special screening for Rahul Gandhi? We hear he saw the whole film and liked it.
Rahul did watch the film, but I didn't invite him. The screening was arranged by someone else. He came to watch the film with a posse of security guards! The moment you touch a subject like the carnage in Gujarat all kind of rumours begin to float around. There were rumours that I showed the film to Narendra Modi. I want to put on record that no one called me from his office and neither did I call him. I have screened the film for the Censor Board. There is no ban on the film in Gujarat. We are not doing anything much to market the film.u00a0u00a0u00a0

And what's the feedback you have got so far?
I've been getting calls from my friends saying they cannot believe Firaaq is my first film. That's a great compliment.u00a0

Any plans of entering politics?
No. I don't have any plans of entering politics or joining any party. But I will vote.

How and why did you think of direction?
It happened by default. Well, I got into acting by default too. Acting and directing are a result of my work with a human rights organisation. Shuchi Kothari, my co-writer for Firaaq, and I started working on a project in 2004. When it (the riots) actually happened, I was in Delhi horrified, like everyone else. We were taken aback by the carnage and it took us three years to work on it, followed by a year of shooting. Unconscious research had started long back.u00a0u00a0

How different or difficult is it being a woman director?
Some of the best films by directors worldwide have been their first. In fact, this year we saw many women directors Zoya Akhtar and Deepti Naval and there are sure to be more. Women are participating in every field. They have a different perspective to everything. They are more sensitive. That's why you probably don't see many women directors making commercial cinema. If a man had made this film, he would have dealt with it differently.

I saw the film and was happy you refrained from depicting brutal violence. Was it intentional?
When the violence is over, there's a lot that lingers on: fear, anger, prejudice, lack of hope. Besides victims and perpetrators are those who choose to remain silent. My film is about them. It's a human story, which shows how people's lives are affected.u00a0

What's the next project you are working on? You have lost a lot of weight. Is this is for your new project?
It's an international project. I will be in hibernation for a bit. I'm learning sword fighting and the vigorous exercise has made me look like this. I don't like to go to a gym or do yoga.u00a0u00a0

How many languages are you familiar with?
I have done 30 films and worked in 10 languages. But I am familiar only with 4 languages Bengali, Oriya, Hindi and English.u00a0

What gives you a high?
Life. Good people. Life is so inspirational. So many people have touched my life in so many different ways. Each experience is so enriching.u00a0u00a0

How do you unwind?
I love to sleep. I also like being with good people.