‘They can’t take even the smallest step.’
‘The mental abuse is so insidious that sometimes they don’t even realise it’s happening.’
Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
The strains of Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman’s Tere Mere Sapne from Guide ring in your ear, as you wait for Renuka Shahane to answer her phone.
The ringtone is a pleasant start to the conversation, which starts with a cheerful voice, sprinkled with a lot of laughter.
But Renuka has a lot of say, and she does that with her latest directorial called Loop Line, or Dhhaavpatti. The Marathi animated film is under 10 minutes, and tells a story we are familiar with.
We see a housewife, who goes through an unending day of drudgery and boring housework with no appreciation from her emotionally-abusive husband. But every once in a while, she takes a break by escaping into her imagination.
This is not Renuka’s life, but many women have lived it at some point.
“I was thinking of those women who live in claustrophobic lives and yet, find an outlet,” Renuka tells Rediff‘s Ronjita Kulkarni. Perhaps they imagine a different life or imagine themselves in pleasant situations.”
Loop Line is about the emotional abuse women face in their domestic lives. Why did you choose to explore this subject?
Whenever I think of novels or films written with women-centric characters, whatever the problematic areas are in that woman’s life, there is some sort of step that the woman takes at the end, which is a sort of resolution or it gives hope for something better in her life.
Like, she suddenly finds her voice or does something different to solve the issue, big or small.
But a lot of women, especially housewives, don’t have the guts or the ability to go away from the situation they are in.
They can’t take even the smallest step.
They don’t find outlets to deal with their drudgery.
The mental abuse is so insidious that sometimes they don’t even realise it’s happening.
And this is not taken seriously because the questions asked are, is your husband physically harming you? Is it very serious?
But it is serious because it does not allow you to lead a happy life.
So I was thinking of those women who live in claustrophobic lives and yet, find an outlet.
Perhaps they imagine a different life or imagine themselves in pleasant situations.
IMAGE: A housewife struggles with the drudgery of housework in Loop Line.
These kinds of women are very far removed from you and your life.
Totally. It’s not a lived experience at all.
So how did you get a deeper understanding?
The drudgery of housework is not alien to me, even though I’m a working woman.
One feels that, oh, empowered women can outsource work. Yes, of course, you can, but there are so many things one has to look into to keep a house running well, and you have to do that yourself.
And it’s not an equal job.
I have seen people who have worked with me, observed my life and women in general.
I have seen it in villages, big towns and big cities.
It’s very common.
IMAGE: Mithila Palkar, Kajol and Tanvi Azmi in Tribhanga.
All your directorials, Rita, Tribhanga and Loop Line have strong feminist views. Have you decided to use the medium of directorship to articulate your views on feminism?
You know, people might have a very low opinion about feminism today. It’s bandied around in a very derogatory manner.
But I am a staunch feminist.
It was an extremely important movement and the people who criticise it, including women, are where they are today because of the hard work the early feminists have put in. They have helped women’s voices to come to the fore, for them to get education, the right to vote, basic things which we take for granted.
So, when you say, oh, these feminists, you’re talking about individuals you don’t like, basically. Let’s not malign the term or the importance of that movement just because you don’t like certain women or men who represent feminism.
Will you ever explore a different theme?
As a director, I want to tell stories that affect me and amplify my authentic voice.
In Rita, Tribhanga and Loop Line, we are talking about the struggles women face and there is such a long journey still ahead of us, in terms of equality and mindsets.
But the subjects I am dealing with next are not gender-related. They are more related to the social aspects.
Not that I am done with stories related to women but I want to delve into other aspects.
My next Marathi film deals with racism and how we don’t even realise how racist we can be.
IMAGE: A scene from Dupahiya.
In Bollywood, which are the filmmakers that bring out the woman’s voice the best?
Gulzarsaab writes beautifully for women.
Bimal Roy’s films are so sensitive to women.
Guru Dutt portrayed women in such a sensitive manner.
Sujoy Ghosh in Kahaani.
Dupahiya was written by two men (Avinash Dwivedi, Chirag Garg), and all the women characters were so sensitively written.
Similarly, some women are so good with men. Take Zoya Akhtar, Farah Khan, Mira Nair.
As an actress working in Bollywood over decades, how much have things changed for women? How supportive is the system to women now?
Today, things are so much better in terms of the opportunities for women.
In the 1990s, usually, the only women on the sets were the actors and their hairdressers. You would not find any other woman.
Of course, there were female directors like Sai Paranjpe, Vijaya Mehta, and Aparna Sen, but the set was predominantly men.
Now, there are women in front of the camera and behind. We have female cinematographers, something you would have never imagined in the ’90s.
Also, with the advent of OTT platforms and corporates, there’s a different type of professionalism. There is an awareness of any sort of bullying or sexual abuse or innuendo.
These things are handled better, more gracefully.
Now there is an intimacy coordinator for scenes related to intimacy.
In the 1990s, there weren/t even separate loos for women!
Women who were character actors had to deal with a lot.
For the outdoors, if you had to go to the loo and there were none, you had to make a temporary place with your chunnis.
It was later, maybe sometime in the 2000s that things got better and there were separate loos for women.
IMAGE: Renuka with her family: Mum Shanta Gokhale, a well-known writer, husband Ashutosh Rana and sons Shouryaman and Satyandra. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
Recently, Deepika Padukone opted out of a film because of a better work-life balance after becoming a new mom. This must have been unheard of in the 1990s. What were the choices that you had to deal with as an actor, when you had your children?
Yeah, absolutely. unheard of.
At that time, once you signed a film, it was taken for granted that you’ve signed out your life for that time.
But I chose not to work when I had children because I find it very difficult to multitask.
It confuses me.
So when I had kids, I wanted to stay with them.
I took up work very rarely in those years. And I never did outdoor shoots.
Now that they have become independent (Renuka’s sons Shouryaman and Satyandra are 23 and 20 respectively), I have started working again.
Dupahiya is the first shoot where I have gone outdoors again.
But everybody has the right to decide their priorities, if they want to balance work and home. They have a right to say that, okay, I’ll work only these many hours. If it’s not suitable to the producer or director, then you’re not there in that project.
IMAGE: Renuka, in flashback. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
There’s a film like Loop Line, which is trying to make an important statement. And then there’s a film like Housefull 5, bigger in budget and scale, about sexism and racism, and it’s even doing well. Do you feel discouraged or disappointed?
No, I don’t. Who am I to judge? People are paying their money and seeing it.
In fact, I would like it if films work because that’s very important for the industry.
If the commercial entertainers don’t run, then the out-of-the-box films have no chance.
Loop Line is a passion project for me. It’s not something where I’m going to earn a lot of money. I knew that, in fact, I’m not going to possibly earn any money.
I was told that there’s no distribution network for animation films, especially those with mature content. They are rarely made in India, so they don’t have that kind of market.
Why don’t we see you acting more often? Are the roles uninteresting or low-paying or are you choosing to direct more than act?
I have to balance my acting, my writing and my direction.
I also have to balance my house.
So whenever I feel everything is conducive, I take up the offer. Of course, they should be offers that one feels excited about.
But you will see more of me now because my kids have grown up.
Dupahiya was such a pleasant watch. Did it bring you more offers?
Yes. People feel that sometimes you are going in different directions, so you won’t act.
So now, maybe people will feel that, oh, she’s accepting offers now that she’s done Dupahiya.
IMAGE: Renuka with Salman Khan in Hum Aapke Hai Koun…! (1994).
How do you look back at your career, the films you did? Which ones were memorable?
Some things stand out for me either due to the popularity they offered me or because I loved being part of them.
I loved Circus (1989) because that made me choose this profession of acting. It was Aziz uncle (Mirza), who mentored me and encouraged me to become an actor.
During Lifeline (1991), I found a passion for direction. I had assisted Dr Vijaya Mehta in that series, and it was an institution for me.
My Telugu film Money (1993) was such a joyous time. I was new to the field of cinema and the language was not mine. Yet, I really enjoyed myself.
Surabhi and Hum Aapke Hai Koun…! have stood the test of time.
When I go anywhere in the world, people recognise me because of Hum Aapke Hai Koun..!.
I loved Imtihaan (1995) because that was when people started taking notice of me as an actor.
My directorial films, Rita, Tribhanga and Dhao Patti are my babies.
When you look back, how much have you changed as a person? What were you like in those days?
I’ve changed a lot.
My level of patience has increased a lot. You know, as a young person who is very popular, there is a certain brashness in you.
There is a certain overconfidence, which has mellowed over the years.
But I am still very self-critical.
I have to be kind to myself. I think I should learn to do that more.
IMAGE: With Ashutosh Rana. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
Bollywood’s sweet girl-next-door got married to one of the scariest villains of the time, Ashutosh Rana. But we want to know your scariest quality.
Oh, I don’t think I have, I’ll have to ask Ranaji.
(“Ranaji, what is my scariest quality?”)
(“Cockroach.”)
No, no, he thought what I’m scared of, and he said cockroach.
(“Do I have a scary quality?“)
He’s saying he doesn’t find anything scary about me.
But I’ll tell you what my scary quality is.
I can be happy being a recluse and that’s not a good thing.
What is Ranaji‘s scary quality?
He has very few scary qualities. But his anger is scary.
Even my anger is scary.
I think my children can give the right answer to this.
(She asks Shouryaman, who’s present in the room)
My eldest son says that I get irritated randomly.
What’s his father’s scariest quality?
He’s scared to even say it.
We don’t get angry very often but when we do, you should leave us alone.
What ticks you off?
Dishonesty.
Incompetence.
Cruelty to children, animals or anybody who’s underprivileged.
I think what my eldest son said, being irritable randomly, sometimes the pressure of being everywhere at the same time gets to me.
