Filming women: A conversation with Alankrita Shrivastava

Anupama Arora, Sandrine Sanos, and Gohar Siddiqui (JFS): You have spent almost two decades in the film industry, and we thought we would begin by asking you about your journey as a filmmaker in the industry, and especially as a feminist filmmaker. Alankrita Shrivastava (AS): I moved to Bombay [Mumbai] in 2003 and I started assisting Mr. Prakash Jha on the film, Gangaajal (Holy Water, 2003).1 I was a sort of trainee or intern. I had just finished my Master's in Mass Communication from Jamia Milia University (in New Delhi); and I had moved to Bombay after that. I worked as an assistant director on several of Mr. Jha’s films such as Apharan (Abduction, 2005) and Rajneeti (Politics, 2010). And, in between, I was an executive producer on two films (Dil Dosti Etc, Love and Friendship, 2007; Khoya Khoya Chand, Lost Moon, 2007). I also made a short film in the meantime called Open Doors. While I was working on Rajneeti, there was a four-month gap in the schedule, and that’s when I shot my first feature film, Turning 30. Everyone thought I was crazy in just going ahead and shooting a film in that time frame. The film was produced by Mr. Jha.