Young Voices on SLB attack

Neeraj Ghaywan (director, Masaan): If we observe it very closely, we can sense a deep-rooted patriarchy. Because we've an accepted form of how a sanskari Indian woman is supposed to behave. And if she's from the royalty then we've even higher standards. It has to be as pure as it can get. I think they're trying to protect that image, which they want to sustain over the years. So I don't think it's about history; it's about ensuring women remain a certain way.

An incident like this deeply affects me, as a writer, as a filmmaker. And not just me, but other writers as well, because there's already a level of self-censorship in place. For example, I'm making a short film where there was some conversation about a minister, say, someone like Smriti Irani, commenting on how we see power in the hands of women. When the cabinet reshuffled happened, how she was trolled and, like, very liberal men are also sitting there and cracking jokes on her. But when I wrote the dialogues, I realised that the junta - the so-called right wing - would pick up only those lines in isolation and say that, "You such and such, you wrote something wrong about our Smriti Irani." So I had to delete that and write something else.

So, now, we're scared to present anything. We, of course, can't make any political films in our country - that's out of the way. But for anything, you've to think twice. You've to Google and see if this minister has ever been into this or what not. You've to be cautious. You can't say anything about anybody. In such an environment, what can an artist do?

Neeraj Ghaywan. Courtesy: Facebook/Neeraj Ghaywan

A few days ago, my friends and I were having an argument with someone about Om Puri's demise. We had seen some Facebook posts celebrating his death. But that person kept disagreeing, saying, "Arre, these people don't matter. They're idiots." But if you see the people [Narendra] Modi follows [on Twitter], and you skim through their timelines, it's appalling to see why a PM [Prime Minister] would follow them. So now you can't dismiss them as, "Arre, yaar, yeh log aise hi hain. Inko publicity chahiye, ya inko do-minute ka fame chahiye. [These people are like this; they just need publicity.]" Or they're fringe. You cannot, because they've become the mainstream, and we've become the fringe. Because you write something, and 100 trolls attack you.

Besides, if I were outside the industry, I'd have understood why people say Bollywood never takes a stand. But once you're inside, you realise the travails of making a film. Because you're also taking a call on behalf of 150-odd people, you're their representative. You've to be on multiple boats; you've to think of other people. Just equate it to your personal battle. Nobody's out there to prove that, "Oh, I'm going to stand against the system." And nobody wants to lose that personal battle, because they want their film to be out there.

In fact, I can't voice my issues on a lot of things, because if I talk about it, I know I'll be identified. And then there will be definite attempts - maybe the CBFC will be a lot strict on me. Which is the biggest fear any filmmaker lives with. Because it's not just your indulgence at stake. This is business, art, commerce, plus a lot of other things - people's hopes and lives together.

It just becomes very difficult to... I can't do it myself.

Unless you're Anurag Kashyap who can be extremely vocal about it. I want to be that, but I can't, because I know I don't have that much power in the industry. If he [Kashyap] goes to a set of producers to pitch a film, he won't be told, "Ki, arre, apne yeh aisa bola [that you said this]." Because they'll feel his identity is way bigger than what he's saying, so they'll give credence to what his films are, and hence make that film with him. But if I, or Kanu [Behl], or any of my contemporaries says so, they'll be like, "Abe yeh kaun hai? Isko mat bula. Yeh bahut bolta hai [Who's this guy? Don't call him. He talks a lot]."