The film starring Esha Deol Takhtani highlights the evils of gender discrimination and female foeticide.
Journalist-turned-director Ram Kamal Mukherjee recently released his short film Ek Duaa starring Esha Deol Takhtani. The film showcases the evils of gender discrimination and female foeticide. The film is Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s second collaboration with Esha Deol after Cakewalk. The film also stars Rajveer Ankur Singh, Sunita Shirole, Barbie Sharma and Nick Mukesh Nag in prominent roles. The film is streaming on Voot Select. Excerpts from a conversation with director Ram Kamal Mukherjee.
Q. Ek Duaa attempts to showcase the evils of gender discrimination. Why did you choose this as the subject of your movie?
A. Gender inequality is one of the most important issue in our society. As a filmmaker its my duty to entertain audiences but at the same time it is also our responsibility to spread awareness without being preachy. Ek Duaa is that kind of cinema that will keep you entertained throughout, but at the end it will also make you think about the subject.
Q. This is your second movie with actress Esha Deol after Cakewalk. How was the experience working with her?
A. It’s always a pleasure working with Esha, since Cakewalk. She is a professional actor and natural to the core. When I approached her to do this film as an actor, she loved the subject so much that she had tears in her eyes and she offered to not just act but also produce the film. In Ek Duaa, she plays the role of Abida, a married woman with two kids. Whatever queries and doubts she had in mind about Abida’s character she had asked me, and I tried my best to clear them. In fact there is a very high voltage drama sequence in the film which she wanted me to act and show. Which I did for her reference and we didn’t have any readymade reference to that scene.
Q. Please share one fond memory from the film Ek Dua?
A. There are many. But I feel that Esha turning into a producer with her banner Bharat Esha Films is one of the most fond and sweet memories for all of us. She took care of her entire team and made us feel comfortable. We shot during Durga Puja, which is the biggest festival for Hindus. So everyday we would take darshan of Ma Durga in the pandals and shoot the whole day.
Q. What are the various aspects you focus upon before finalizing any script?
A. I make sure that the flow of the final draft is as natural as possible. I don’t like to make films that are predictable and filmy. I hope that Ek Duaa will also be appreciated by the audiences. The film is meant for a certain kind of audience, and we are getting very good feedback from them. The most important aspect of any script is that it should be grippy enough. It’s not easy to tell a story in 30 mins or 60 mins, that’s when we need scripts that holds potential enough to retain the patience level of the audiences.
Q. How much are you contented with the response of your previous film Rickshawala?
A. Rickshawala is one of my closest film. The film was made at shoe string budget and we gave our blood and sweat to make it happen. The film travelled the world, fetched the best awards from USA, Australia, UK, Dubai, France and Singapore. I am grateful to my lead actor Avinash Dwivedi who worked so hard for the role of Manoj in the film. And this wouldn’t have been possible without my producers Aritra Das, Sarbani Mukherjee, Shhailendra Kkumar and Gaurav Daga.
Q. Please give a brief description about your future projects?
A. My next film Broken Frame starring Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty is based on my short story published four years ago under the title Long Island Iced Tea. This is a 27 minute short film dealing about the complexities of a married couple. The film is currently making rounds at the festivals and will soon release in India.