As Kriti Sanon completes a decade in the industry, the actor is ready to spread her wings wider and further, this time as a producer. Her production house, Blue Butterfly Films, has bankrolled the recently released Do Patti, also starring Kajol. Kriti is seen in a double role in the film that delves into the issue of domestic violence.
The actor debuted with Heropanti in 2014. Since then, she has delivered a number of memorable performances in box-office hits such as Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chuppi, Dilwale, Housefull 4 and Mimi, for which she won the National Award. Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, released earlier this year, and where she essays the role of a robot, marked her comeback after flops such as Hum Do Hamare Do, Bachchhan Pandey, Heropanti 2 and Ganapath. She is now raring to go, both as an actor and a producer. Excerpts from the interview:
Was it a need to create better opportunities for yourself as an actor that you became a producer?
Fortunately, I don’t think I have been put in a box. So that wasn’t ever a thought I had. It was the idea to be creatively involved in projects that I feel passionate about, other than just being an actor. I wanted to immerse myself in all aspects of the process of filmmaking, as well as tell stories that I feel need to be told. I am hungry as an actor, and if I do choose a film, I know I will strive to make the character strong and layered.
'Do Patti' sees you in a double role; you play twin sisters. The film highlights domestic violence. What was it about this story that drew you in?
When I met Kanika (Dhillon), who has also co-produced the film, I felt she had a voice as a writer when it came to female characters. They are layered, flawed and real. I had been wanting to work with her as an actor for quite some time. When I expressed my desire to produce a film, she asked me if there was something I felt deeply towards. I told her how strongly I felt about abuse of any kind, especially domestic violence, because it is the reality of many.
There have been films which have delved into the issue, but there is a lot more that needs to be addressed and spoken about. Films are a strong medium to start a conversation. As Kanika weaved in the aspect of the twins in the film, it gave me the graph to not only play a double role, but also dive into the mindset of two very different women. I feel whenever we are trying to talk about a serious subject or give any sort of a message to the audience, we need to wrap it in a way that makes it engaging.
It has been a good year for women-lead narratives such as 'Laapata Ladies', 'Stree 2' and 'Munjiya'. Do you feel we are finally making strides in the right direction when it comes to representation of women in cinema?
We are progressing in the right direction, but it is a very slow process. Now, the success and failure of a movie has gone beyond star power. The story is the main star of a film. What we should also aim for is to get to a point when it doesn’t matter if it’s a film led by a male or a female actor. It should just be about the film.
Ideally, gender should not be a criterion at all; in terms of how much a film makes, what its budget is etc. A lot of films with female protagonists are made with a lesser budget because there is the inherent fear of poor returns. So when a 'Crew' does well at the box office, it gives producers, and hopefully directors, the confidence that one can mount a film on women on the same budget as a film with a male lead, and get their money back.
You are the proverbial outsider who created a space for themselves in a rather competitive ecosystem. 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' in 2017 proved to be the game changer for you, and you further cemented your position with a National Award-win for 'Mimi' in 2021. How challenging has it been to get this far?
The challenges keep changing. You are always sort of battling a different obstacle, or trying to break a different ceiling. As a newcomer without a film background, the first challenge is to get opportunities, to get people to appreciate your work, and recognise you.
Then, it is about the kind of an actor you want to be known as. I didn’t want to get typecast as a glamorous heroine, and was fortunate to get Bareilly Ki Barfi, which helped me break the mould. But, an actor can only fill the vessel according to its size. And, for a long time I wasn’t getting the right opportunity. Of course, there is a point where one gets confused with all the chatter around, but I knew I didn’t want to get limited.
Yes, I made mistakes, and some movies just didn’t work for me, and then Mimi happened. Right now, I am in a space where I am no longer running around to prove myself as an actor. Instead, I need to keep pushing the envelope to do better.
So, what is next on the cards for you?
It’s been a busy time for me with Do Patti. I am looking for something that excites me enough to produce it. As an actor, I have signed something, which I cannot divulge yet. But, I would love to do an intense love story, a comedy as well as play a superwoman kind of a character, which has lots of action.
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