Television could have ushered in social change in society

Renuka Shahane, who made her television debut with Circus in 1989 and became a household name with Surabhi in 1992, says she is saddened by how Indian television has been taken over by daily soaps. However, she is optimistic about the rise of women-centric content and the growing confidence of audiences in such stories. She speaks to Saurabh Tankha about her journey from actor to filmmaker, her sabbatical, and her film Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy.

Talking about the origin of Tribhanga, Renuka Shahane says, “The plot came about in 2014, before I participated in the Sundance Mumbai Mantra Screenwriters’ Workshop.” She adds that she had to submit a 10-page script, which she titled Tribhanga inspired by the Odissi dance pose. “Tribhanga is the metaphor I use for women in the film,” she explains.

The workshop selected the script, where writers and filmmakers including William Wheeler, Asif Kapadia, Anjum Rajabally, and Malia Scotch Marmo mentored her. She then worked on the screenplay for nearly three years after completing the workshop. She later pitched it at the NFDC co-production market in Goa in 2016. While some producers showed interest, the project did not move forward at that stage.

In 2018, she met Siddharth Malhotra at the premiere of her film Bucketlist. She narrated the script, and he immediately connected with it. He also suggested Kajol for the role of Anu. “She too loved it, and thereafter, everything fell into place,” she recalls.

On whether the characters are inspired by real people, she says Nayan, Anu, and Masha are a mix of women she has known and parts of herself. She adds, “I think the three are some parts of me in a little way – the concepts they struggle with, the discussions they undertake and the feelings they go through.”

Talking about women-centric storytelling, she says there is now greater support from both audiences and the industry. “There is much more confidence in supporting women-centric stories – the audiences have proved this time and again,” she says. She adds that OTT platforms have further expanded opportunities for women filmmakers and storytellers.

Renuka Shahane also speaks about her 14-year sabbatical. “I stayed away from the arc lights. It wasn’t forced upon me,” she says. She adds at the time was exhausting, especially with multiple weekly shows running simultaneously. “At one point in time, I was doing some five of them so I had to divide the 30-31 days between these minus holidays,” she says.

She later moved into direction and writing. Her film Rita, released in 2009, received critical appreciation and encouraged her to continue exploring filmmaking. She says, “I’m overly critical of myself.”

She recalls her early acting journey with Circus and says filmmaker Aziz Mirza advised her not to return to theatre. “He told me I had a lot of potential, I followed his advice,” she says. This led her to Surabhi, which became a turning point in her career.

On her academic background in psychology, she says she would have pursued it if Circus had not happened. “We used to visit JJ Hospital for our practical classes and deal with patients,” she recalls. She adds that psychology helped her as both an actor and writer.

Speaking about Indian television today, she says, “Television has been taken over by daily soaps.” She adds, “It is sad that such a strong medium which could have ushered in a social change is now just a place where fantasy and unbelievable stuff keeps happening.”

On OTT platforms, she is more positive. “I’m very fond of web series,” she says. She compares them to early Doordarshan-era storytelling like Tamas, Katha Sagar, Buniyaad and Hum Log. “This web series format expresses a lot in a few episodes,” she says.

As a director, she believes in maintaining respect on set. “On my sets, everyone is equal,” she says. She adds that she avoids creating unnecessary conflict and prefers private conversations to resolve issues.

Looking ahead, she says she is writing a web series and a feature film. “I don’t know whether something will come out of it or not but I’m going to follow that process,” she says. She adds that she continues to take acting offers selectively and enjoys being a full-time mother.