Debut director Shailja Gupta, who moved to the US six years ago, taps into the life stories of her friends to create a desi male version of Sex & The City. She promises her film deals with sexual liberation as irreverently as the American TV series does
Debut director Shailja Gupta, who moved to the US six years ago, taps into the life stories of her friends to create a desi male version of Sex & The City. She promises her film deals with sexual liberation as irreverently as the American TV series doesu00a0
She's been an assistant script supervisor on the Ajay Devgn-Aishwarya Rai starrer Raincoat and the global marketing manager on Choker Bali. Shailja Gupta must have put these skills to good use when she directed her debut Walkaway, which has already created a buzz because of its comparison to the American hit series Sex & The City. It tackles everything from dowry to matching horoscopes. Excepts from an interview with the director.
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Your debut Walkaway is being touted as the desi male version of Sex and The City.
Honestly, it wasn't really a conscious effort to make a Sex and the City for Indian men, but somehow after watching the film, people started telling me this. I am quite flattered, and as an afterthought, I guess they are right in a way because I have tried to showcase the different stages each character is at in his/her life and how different each one's mindset and life is. Yet, they are the best of friends; very similar to the four girls of Sex and the city.u00a0
So is there talk of sexual liberation a la SATC or is it meant for family viewing?
There's no question of playing safe. The film does portray the reality of sexual freedom and choices in a western cosmopolitan city like New York, nuanced with conflicts that the Indian characters' upbringings create. Two couples in the film are "progressive" in their sexual behaviour, one being a "friends with benefits" setup and the other having lived together for several years before getting engaged.
Some of the issues dealt with specifically are the skeletons in the closet of a married couple. Another tackled a uniquely-Indian subject ufffd how veiled urban dowry (as it exists today) affects the fledgling stage of a relationship.
How much of the film has drawn on your experiences in the US?
All characters are inspired by friends. They all lead a pretty set lifestyle. They have studied at the best schools and colleges in India, have been hired by multinationals, migrated to the best cities and after a few years, willingly got into an arranged marriage (since they were not really seeing anyone). Mostly the spouses couldn't work due to visas, so they end up either doing their PhDs or started waiting around for their green card.
It was intriguing to see them progress from one stage of their life to another seamlessly, yet constantly struggling to maintain some semblance of sanity and balance between their fast-paced cosmopolitan lifestyle and their deep-rooted culture.
Who were youru00a0 influences?
Shah Rukh Khan. I have worked with him on a technology project 10 years ago and during those two years, the amount of passion with which he spoke of cinema was enough to get my head spinning. Spending time on the sets and listening to him talk was a learning experience.
u00a0Walkaway releases in India on October 29
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