Kanika Dhillon Flipping The Script Of A 'Man's World' On Its Head

The top-billed writer, who has given Bollywood some of its most interesting female characters in recent years, is now turning producer to give her women more power. We talk to Kanika Dhillon about her take on the evolution of the idea of 'modern, independent women' in contemporary reel and real world

- Ananya Ghosh

"Bollywood can still be male dominated in the macroscopic aspect of things. But today women are breaking barriers, leading narratives, and shaping the industry's evolution in a way that has not happened before. Also, there is a crucial shift in the way audience interacts with cinema," says Kanika Dhillon, the woman instrumental in scripting the success story of women in contemporary Hindi cinema. Be it Rumi (Manmarziyaan) or Mukku (Kedarnath) or Bobby (Judgementall Hai Kya) or Rani (Haseen Dilruba), her women refuse to be mere placeholders; they break prejudices and challenge perceptions. Kanika imbues her women with main character energy. They are not immaculate devis or cardboard divas, but they are messy, confused, emotionally volatile, strong-willed and sometimes even problematic regular women.

We caught up with the author, scriptwriter, and now producer, and ask her some contentious questions on the portrayal of the independent modern woman in contemporary cinema including the popular brand of feminism peddled in the movies is a byproduct of patriarchy, if the 'man's world' is still uncomfortable with the idea of a working woman and hence the focus on sexual liberalisation instead of a financial one, and if it is a true evolution or just a case of older stereotypes getting replaced by newer ones. Excerpts:

What is essentially a Kanika Dhillon woman?

My women embody strength, vulnerability, and complexity. She is shaped by her own unique experiences and choices. They are nuanced and real characters.

It seems in Bollywood we are still more or less oscillating between bechari (women reeling under patriarchy trying to find a voice) and bewafa ('modern' women treating men as disposable)! What's your take on this?