EXCLUSIVE! Kanika Dhillon on Boycott: Art is not conforming

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Some say a pen is mightier than a sword and Kanika Dhillon has proved that with her writing. She is one of the few storytellers that gets to bring her characters to life on screen through cinema. After an incredible year of ups and downs with Haseen Dilruba and Raksha Bandhan, Kanika is back again penning down a story that she believes would resonate with people once again. Sitting down with City First, the screenwriter revealed what moves her as a writer, the difference between OTT and theatre cinema, the boycott phenomenon and more.

Kanika had several emotions that she bottled into the label of a good movie from the perspective of a writer. “It makes you think, love, hate, agitates you; it gets a reaction out of you. A good movie is a piece of work, a piece of art, a piece of a story that you carry home and talk about,” she said.

Further mentioning her experience as a co-producer on the successful Netflix venture Haseen Dilruba, Kanika called it a logical step forward. “It was the first film that I wrote and co-produced. So, it was a double celebration when it did so well and got so much love from the audience. It won so many nominations and awards that I couldn’t have asked for a better foray into films as a producer.”

Known for her strong and flawed female characters that know how to hold their ground, the writer feels that it is the inclusivity of theatres that restricts such women only till OTT. “As a writer, I don’t discriminate much between the OTT and the movie theatres. But I do understand when one gets a little restricted because you have to be more inclusive when writing for theatres. You cannot alienate or agitate a certain section of the audience. So, you try to tone down your characters. Whereas on OTT, the viewing is very personal and one-to-one. The audiences don’t generally sit with their families, so there is a lot more nuance, gritty and edgy stuff.”

The author felt that her latest venture, Raksha Bandhan which was also boycotted on Twitter, worked well in the cow belt and not with the urban audiences because the topic was something that they did not want to engage with. Speaking about the boycott trend, Kanika felt that if everyone started paying attention to it, it would be difficult to put pen to paper. “Every sentence that you write as an artist is going to offend somebody or the other and if it does not, then maybe you are not writing something worthwhile. If you start writing what the majority likes then you don’t need a writer but can simply hire a typist. Art is not conforming. It is supposed to make you feel, or else what is the point.”

Confirming that she is coming up with Haseen Dilruba 2, Kanika revealed that she has something in store that will be announced soon.