Rashmika & Vijay Exclusive : "We feel a little EMBARRASSED by it"
Author Name:Keerthi
Youtube Channel Url:https://www.youtube.com/@KeerthikaGovindhasamy
Youtube Video URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=043qBi8qw-Q
Title: Rashmika & Vijay Exclusive : "We feel a little EMBARRASSED by it"
Author Name: Keerthi
Description: One of India’s favourite couples, Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda, join me for their first interview since their wedding, alongside the director of their upcoming film Ranabaali, Rahul Sankrityan.
They open up about how life has been since their wedding, whether Bollywood really is a closed club, and why the history of our own country rarely makes it into our textbooks.
Sitting across from rashmika and Vijay, I got to see little glimpses of them beyond the usual questions and answers.
From marriage & relationships to cinema & history, we spoke about everything in between.
What started as a conversation around the film turned into something much more personal and unexpected.
This one felt really special to me. ❤️
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About Me :
I am a passionate History Graduate with a deep love for uncovering the forgotten stories of India. With a keen eye for detail and a relentless drive to uncover the truth, I have dedicated my life to exploring the rich and complex history of country, shedding light on the forgotten aspects of India's past. Through my tireless research and dedication to the craft, I am committed to ensuring that the legacy of India's rich cultural heritage will never be forgotten!
Transcript:
(00:04) What does it feel like to be finally married? >> I'm super happy to be married to her. Like it's one blessing. I don't even know when it became a relationship. [laughter] >> There are so many people who admire you for your kindness and the way you are. And for the same reason, you also get the tools.
(00:22) What What do you have to say about that? >> I choose [music] to be like this and I'm very happy being like this because this is just me. There's a lot of sort of negative [music] things that's going around that I want to believe in kindness. And even if people call that overacting when I look at you and when we're having some conversation, I just know a few things.
(00:43) We don't have to talk about it, you know, [music] and I feel this with a lot of women out there and that's why I have a very big compliance for the filmmakers. [music] When you see Tamil heroes, all of them look like someone I would see on my streets. [music] >> But I could never see someone who looks like me on the cinema. >> Why did Indians think white skin [music] is is attractive and not dusky skin? Our mindsets were manipulated like that because you know fairness is the goodness.
(01:11) [music] All of us talking about this also will not change it because just embedded in human nature. when I go and do a Hindi film when I'm working in a particular [music] film do I feel like I'm an outsider because in India 10 million people died [music] in this fine the metas fine that we're talking about all the films made on British [music] were mostly about the independence but what happened before was like a rave genocides happened changed our genetics sometimes it disturbs me [music] that we are divided on multiple lines we always like you're
(01:42) dark I am white you're speaking Tamil I'm speaking Hindi >> when it comes to south India northeast [music] everything was majorly ignored so that's why I don't blame it there are not many [music] movies because >> okay rolling >> this is [clears throat] your first interview as Mrs and Mrs together what does it feel like to be finally married after being in a relationship for so many years how many years you haven't revealed that yet >> in a relationship >> I don't even know when it became a relationship [laughter]
(02:16) I think it just all uh being colleagues went into a friendship a long friendship at some time became a comfort merged into some sort of a relationship >> I think uh everyone around us saw it before we saw it like example our friends >> our uh parents >> at some point I think it became like a relationship and then I I took some time because I'm like a slow fellow [laughter] and I like to I take time and then and then how is marriage? I'm super happy to be married to her.
(02:51) Like it's one blessing >> at the at the same time nothing's changed. So I still don't a lot of times we're talking to people uh and I'm like oh my girlfriend will come uh can you drop this? >> You still call her a girlfriend? >> Yeah. She does the same and then I'm like okay wait she's my wife. [laughter] A lot of times I type girlfriend and then I have to backtrack and type wife.
(03:12) So we forget we forget that. Uh yeah. >> Yeah. >> You know there's there's a thing that psychologists say when you be with someone for so many years that you are in love you are building a life together >> and uh there's a huge difference between just being in a relationship and actually being married because when you actually make that commitment that proposal or a wedding it creates a sort of a mental shift in you you know it's like you are moving from one phase of the relationship into another phase.
(03:40) So I I really am curious to know is there any difference between just being in a relationship and being a married couple? >> I would like to say no. U for us somehow it's we have not really seen or felt any differently. The difference came with his puppy >> Storm. >> Okay. [laughter] I feel like uh even though not much has changed suddenly you feel like in a different way you feel like this this is my person >> she's completely my responsibility everything she goes through I go through like her every joy is my joy her every
(04:20) before that when you're in a relationship also it's there >> where you're sharing responsibility you're protecting each other you're calming each other you're celebrating things but you're celebrating ating your girlfriend's victory. You're sharing her pain. You're supporting her through a tough time. I feel like post the wedding, it feels like I'm celebrating my own victory.
(04:42) It doesn't feel like you're celebrating your girlfriend's victory. Like uh once you're a wife, like anything that troubles her hurts me with an equal intensity. It doesn't feel like it's somebody else's. I think that shifts. I don't know why it happens or I don't know if it's a whole formality of doing it and now you know that you're just going to build a future together or something but I think that definitely happens in a whole holistic way.
(05:11) That shift will happen. >> So I uh actually have a very personal connection with Rashika. >> So my first break I got on the internet because she shared one of my videos in her story. >> What are you saying? >> Really? Yes. When I when did you start watching history videos? [laughter] >> What video did she say? >> So it was about [laughter] you have no idea.
(05:36) >> Yeah. Like yeah it was 4 years back. It was about uh a women rebel called Bunu Nacha from Tamil Nadu. So I just spoke about that uh women and she shared that video on her story and that's how I got my first break. >> Women rebel. Okay. Now I understand. I understand why you [laughter] f Uh uh >> so there's this one video of Rash Mika that I really really that made me see her in a very different way that uh you were in one of your assistant wedding and uh it was just a video that came out and you wearing a very simple savvy. The
(06:09) guy the groom was looking at you and you were like no no no go go go. You were saying that and that was so sweet. You know I really think consideration is something when you have the power to occupy a space and you decide not to do that. I want to know is that something that comes to you very naturally or you do you just consciously do that because that is something that that made me see you in a very different light after that video.
(06:32) You you are the literally the most uh famous one of the most famous actresses in India. You could have dressed in a very grand way but you chose to wear a simple sagi and uh you you just looked like any other girl in that wedding. It was a very simple wedding. Uh do you remember that video? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. It was uh my assistant's wedding and see there are these moments where you can go out there, you can be yourself, you can shine any moment you want because you have the liberty and the uh love from people to do so. But there are these
(07:02) moments where the moment is not yours. It is someone else's. And I'm not someone who would like to sort of steal that from them. When it's their celebration of victory or their celebration in general of life, you should just let that be. And it was him just entering his into his wedding and he wanted me next to him.
(07:21) I was like, "No, this is completely your moment." And I like I was hoping that I wasn't even there, you know, because I didn't want the distraction to be, you know, like the minds to be diverted. But isn't that how it's all supposed to be? Like, yeah, I just felt it was the right thing to do at that moment. And >> but there's this groundedness that you have.
(07:44) It also kind of creates a contradiction in how people perceive you, you know, like uh you have a very massive fan following, but at the same time, you also have a lot of online trolls and negativities, a lot of hate coming your way. And I'm not going to just simply ask you like how you're handling the negativity and all. I want to get into how people perceive you.
(08:04) You know, in media, we say there's a thing called male gaze and female gaze. A male gaze is how uh a man would look at a woman, how attractive she is, how beautiful. Uh it's it's more like, oh, I want to get her. But a female gaze is more like she's more relatable. She's more, you know, she's such a kind person and I see something of myself in her.
(08:23) And that's the difference. And you are a very good example of it. I I would say I think uh when people admire you, mostly women, it's coming from a female gay coded like oh this is something I see something myself in her. uh even if you take the girlfriend and all and uh that's also I think is one of the very big reason why there are so many people who admire you for your kindness and the way you are and for the same reason you also get the trolls what do you have to say about that >> I'll tell you sir I have not related to
(08:57) her but a lot of the trolling across politics people uh actors generally a A lot of it is manufactured. You can only have feelings genuinely on someone when you've met them, interacted with them, >> spent some time or had one conversation. When you haven't even met that person, how can you have such a strong opinion on their personality? Because it'll come from one manufacturing [clears throat] when a section decides for whatever reasons that we want to create this opinion about her.
(09:31) It's very easy in today's uh date and time with with social media and now everybody is given a platform and everybody can have 15 20 accounts like one person can decide I want to create a narrative and it can >> a big industry just for the PR better. >> Yeah. So once somebody manufactures that opinion and then in the 100 things you do if there is one or two things that you say that match that confirmation bias even if it's out of context.
(09:59) Now you take that you match it to this and there is there will be machinery working to to set that narrative. >> And the thing is that this is not even new. There is nothing we can complain about. That's the life you have to live. You have to face it and you have to continue doing what you have to do because these are the narratives.
(10:17) Since history winners have decided what is going to be written since history like the what we are talking about the famine was was not there in my syllabus when I studied. There was no mention of the famine. I was taught that the Indian railways was built by the British. No one told me how they built it. Why did Indians think white skin is is attractive and not dusky skin? Even though today dusky skin is talked about a lot and I love dusky skin, somebody decided to put the narrative that fair is beautiful and dark is not beautiful
(10:48) so much >> and it was systematically done >> systematically done through marketing through through the white people having the soft power to put this communication through cinema through music through magazines till imagine your own people everybody who's dusky has bought into that that my skin is not good I need to become unfair.
(11:09) This is just like propaganda. Now, as soon as if if you're from a white civilization and you make white good, now you're in a superior place and everyone is looking to be like you. That is power. To be able to do that, to convert people, religious conversions is soft power. To teach people language that you have to speak this language in in a way the west has power over us because we all have are speaking English.
(11:33) If some other if the French took over and the world was speaking French, France would have so much power. Yes. >> If if the Kakata or the Chalukia or if one of our emperor Ma Empire or someone decided to expand and most of the country was speaking Tamil or Telugu or any Indian Hindi, we would have had so much soft power.
(11:55) So these are things that have been happening from time from time itself and they continue today in multiple forms be it attacking a woman for something she's doing being at attacking a man for something there are just different narratives that serve the purpose of different sections of people who don't look at the broader picture.
(12:14) They're just looking at their one one selfish need. we want this salt for that very narrow-mindedly we go about things and unfortunately that's the way of life and she'll just have to you shouldn't let it affect you till it changes your behavior if you know who you are you continue and you know your purpose what you're doing we continue doing what we do because this there is nothing that can stop it me you all of us talking about this also will not change it because just embedded in human nature to do it for different reasons Continuing
(12:47) to what he said. [clears throat] Personally, I believe that kindness is not weakness. And I'm someone who want to choose to be kind because there's a lot of negative emotions or feelings or things that's going around that I want to believe in kindness. I want to bring some sort of positivity.
(13:12) And even if people call that overacting or people call that whatever things that they call, it's fine. Not everyone is everyone's cup of tea, you know. Uh but I choose to be like this and I'm very happy being like this because this is just me and I don't have to pretend to do this, you know. This is real and I can't fake to just make someone happy, you know.
(13:33) I feel like this is keeping me happy. This is keeping my family happy. these are keeping my you know friends and well-wishes and you know all of us happy so >> and women are admiring it by the way so it's not just the >> I think because all of us sort of you know in a very baseline sort of go through similar things in life um to some extent >> uh in like in terms of like curfews having curfews when you're young parents say you have to come back by this time oh which is of course the right thing to do because you know they're looking
(14:03) after our safety and stuff but these are some things that we've all gone through and somewhere I think women like I when I look at you and when we're having some conversation I just know a few things we don't have to talk about it you know and I feel this with a lot of women out there and that's why like with my team also when I like talk about something that I want to do with our girl gang and stuff like that I'm like you guys will not understand you know let me just do my thing like I understand I get it so
(14:32) yeah I think that's very different and these are not some things that you can put into words. It's just with a look you understand or with a little you know just like one little hold in the hand you just understand. >> So yes, >> so you just mentioned about dusky skin and how it's embedded [clears throat] into the society that it's being looked down upon and I have a very big complaint.
(14:57) I'm I'm a Tamil girl by the way. I'm coming from Tamil. You know when I used to watch your videos first you tell your R in a particular way. R >> I have rotosism. [laughter] >> Oh I thought I thought does she French people speak like that their Rs are like a R. There's one different R. >> So like is this girl like French a lot and then but in Tamil also you have the >> then I was like ah it must be from the Tamil but you have something else. Huh.
(15:25) Uh it's very interesting that >> it's like a rotosism is a condition where you can't be you can't >> one are [clears throat] French [laughter] people French people speak like that >> so it's it's a much improved version actually when I was a kid it would be like when I say a ra it's a ra is a tamil in Tamil it's a it's a very strong uh sound it's like used everywhere >> I it would sound like ga >> so now after I trained myself so much I could able to so I don't even have a passport phone by the way.
(15:56) >> Okay. >> I mean, I have one which I don't use at all. [laughter] >> Okay. >> So, >> now you know you can go to France. >> And then you know people actually ask me like are you French by any chance? Do I look like a French person? [laughter] >> I'm Tamil basically. And uh I have a very big complaint for the filmmakers >> that you rarely get to see Dusky's skin on the screen as the lead.
(16:23) You know it's it's been a conversation in particularly in Tamil industry people are questioning the filmmakers like we as a in Tamil industry we talk we have always been a very rebellious cinema industry you know we talk about politics cast which is like a every tea shop conversation I talk politics also because I grew up hearing a lot about it just like in everyday conversation but skin color is something that people still look down upon which I would absolutely agree But in the Tamil industry, it's impossible for you to see a lead heroin, someone
(16:57) who look like me as the lead. You know, most of the people who play the heroins in the past 20 years are Punjabis, Cindis, the all the white-kinned super amazing pretty women have no complaints. >> But when you see Tamil heroes from Dashnikans to Pratip Prankadan now, all of them look like someone I would see on my streets.
(17:20) But I could never see someone who looks like me on the cinema. >> And that's almost also the reality in Telugu industry as well. >> What do you have to say about that? >> Rahul thoughts as a no that's a good point. I have a serious complaint about it. >> Especially when I'm building this world Ranabali like if you see I've casted all dark skinned actors in my film completely.
(17:41) Even whoever are fair we tried to make them darker beat Vijay like if you see like his skin tone was never like this in this film because that was true to the world. It has to be like that. But it is a serious problem when you are telling a story of a particular land or particular time and particular people. It has to be I know skin tone is a major thing.
(17:59) >> So that is seriously an aesthetical problem of the film making >> and I think the young generation of film directors now are following it for sure. But it's been like that so far because for the same reason that Vijay was telling we were our our mindsets were manipulated like that because you know fairness is the goodness.
(18:17) So our leads should look like that. So all our uh >> skin products or whatever like they they are selling on the same point is which is fairness >> but it's a good point to discuss and you know we are changing I think the films forward going forward will definitely you know follow this. I think it'll change in the next I think more dusky girls will also feel confident to come once you see the opinion changing and more dusky models more dusky faces on important things and more people are talking like for I love dusky skin uh I
(18:50) love being tanned personally uh if people tell me why you tan I'm like I want to be I love that brown shade that Indians have is the best shade according to We grew different. >> Yeah, it looks different. It looks beautiful. >> Particularly under sun. >> It looks really nice. So I think once these conversations come, people's mindset changes.
(19:13) >> More girls also feel confident. Filmmakers also feel and masses also look at cinema that way. That shift is happening. I think internationally people are reclaiming against propaganda and narrative and marketing that was done over over centuries. Now people are reclaiming why are we trusting this as if this is nature's law.
(19:38) We behave as if God said white is pure and black is dirty like that. They set to one narrative. Really smart of them to do that from their point of view and Dumbo for us to have fallen for it. But uh now we are all we are also smart and we are understanding to think on our own to be able to make choices on our own.
(19:56) So I think it'll change. Voices has a power right so I feel like the lot of more people talking about it sort of helps us look at what it is for the reality of it otherwise you're just thinking in your head and you're just like living through the narratives which are already set for you now so proud of the young people actually having the guts to talk about these things because for generations together we didn't talk about it um so now when I see you know the younger lot saying no this is what I want this seems right why is you know fair skin like
(20:33) this dusky skin like this why they're questioning these things which I think is the route for a change to happen and I just think people should definitely with a lot more confidence just keep talking about it till that change actually happens >> even cinematography wise >> tusky skin is the best thing for cinematographers because when the moment a fair actor walks into the Indian setup like even for our lighting the kind of sun we have they had to struggle a lot to match that skin tone >> for a white person >> the white person fair to light it
(21:05) >> because it's reflects too much light and all that the moment the dark skin the Indian skin brown skin comes now cinemagraphs are very happy because they look very beautiful in their you know realistic frames >> yeah we see the west also spending all their holiday time to look tan >> to get tan now [laughter] tanning creams by the just applying it to look >> t want that that look that brown look.
(21:30) So >> you know this is someone uh I was in Mumbai for 2 years. I was this uh little girl who moved from my village to Mumbai all of a sudden which is the metro metro city you can find. >> I was living in a sharing apartment with few other people and this is one time this guy goes on like they always used to make some comment about my skin color.
(21:51) They all north Indians by the way and uh this one time I made coffee for them. M >> which I always do and I brought it to them in a black cup. No, both of them. They were couple like for the couples I'm getting to you in black cups. Like same same cup I meant. They're like, "Oh, you're the black one and you're giving us the black cups.
(22:06) " I was like, "Damn." >> Okay. Then he goes like, "Uh, have you ever felt insecure about your skin color?" Uh, I was like, "No, not really." Because my color is the one that I grew up seeing, so it's like very normal how I look. And I never really felt insecure, out of place. Maybe now being in a place where there are so many people who are looking differently could be and also maybe people who are darker than me they might have felt that bullying and all those things but this is like a very normal color back in my place and then I couldn't even finish
(22:36) the sentence the guy goes like oh there are people darker than you also >> and this I'm telling you >> is a guy who's just 27 years old >> who's modern enough to live in a living relationship who's earning in lakhs working in corporate and this the mindset of even the young generation has. I was not even offended.
(22:56) I was just so disappointed like >> how shitty you have to be to even think like that. You what is it? There are people darker than you. >> Have you never seen people darker? >> So it's just so crazy that >> we think we are normalizing it but I don't think it's reaching that space yet. You know I in fact uh after like Pushba released the one and two there I had dusk skin right.
(23:22) So uh I remember I was in Bombay and I was like working out and someone in the gym comes up to me and they're like, "Oh, so you look like this." But our parents like our family were always thinking that you know you're like they're very surprised um with what your uh skin tone really is? I'm like when did skin tone become a conversation? Like >> how does it even matter? >> How does it even matter? Like look at what we're doing.
(23:50) Look at you know the world where we are at what we like the work and the talent and the everything. Why is skin tone still a conversation? >> See for somebody who doesn't have exposure at all like imagine I was in 1800 and a white guy walked in. I'm sure I would be like wo why are you so different from all of us? It's a curiosity.
(24:13) But in 2026 if you don't know that there are all kinds of skin tones in the world. There are different ethnicities, but everyone is waking up to work, feed, be happy, spend time with their family. And if you're not going about your work and you're still fascinated like some isolated little I can't use this word, I've got into trouble before [laughter] isolated little group in one island for the first time that is seeing people.
(24:39) Then I'm like, you need to read some books, you need to watch some cinema, you need to travel a bit. and the res >> travel across your country >> watch >> meet people and then mind your own business [laughter] I think that is that those are steps that need to be followed in today's world you should you should know that this 400 years back it's okay you can be like oh there are people like this also oh >> particular of social media >> yeah now now to have these conversations is uh but it's actually very surprising
(25:09) >> because before maybe British or someone >> like we had the stories is like all our protagonists were nothing but gods. >> Correct. >> So all the Rama and Mahabharat everywhere the gods were described how dark beautiful was correct. Correct. >> How that was dark skin was celebrated and projected and suddenly like >> I I've read somewhere that the shift happened even we started portraying gods in white skin after Raja Rayma's painting.
(25:36) I'm not sure about the authentic >> truth that is so but I' I've read somewhere that because Rajayama's time period also happened to be around the same time when the Britishers came in. >> Okay. >> So >> our man got influenced probably. [laughter] >> Yeah. Never know. >> Yeah. In Tamil you know I I was into Tamil [clears throat] literature'ses a lot when I was in school.
(25:56) This is one particular epic that I love a lot in Tamil which is Silipati Gavam which is the story of Kanagi Kovan. And uh when they want to uh describe the women, the heroan, they go on to talk about how curly her hair was and how beautiful that was and how dark her skin is and they're just so beautiful. Earlier back then people used to admire this.
(26:20) Now we have some of the reference we are we have started kind of looking down >> upon it and that's just kind of sad. So I want to uh know until few years back until probably 10 years back the world knew Hindi cinema as the Indian cinema >> correct >> like uh we hardly had any space all our movies were just into our own little worlds and uh people who went from here and succeeded in the Hindi cinema were very less number probably Shri Dvi and one of few I couldn't even remember any other name actually Reika >> who also did not do any Tamil or Telugu
(26:55) movies by the way uh I could only recall Shi Dvi ma'am. >> M >> now you both you are having a very successful career like in pan India and uh Bollywood is a industry that's known for gates closed you know it's like a very insider industry that doesn't let outsiders come in very easily even from the Hindi belt I'm I'm saying so how is Bollywood treating you both >> you're the busier one [laughter] so I think you should >> you have a lot of girls fans by the way I was like And girls are obsessed with you sir. Come on.
(27:28) >> I have no there's lots of love but industry-wise she's doing lots of films. So I think first you should answer then I'll give her my opinion. >> I think uh why Hindi cinema was called national cinema is because Hindi is our official lang. So I feel like now with the quality of film making and the storytelling and the visibility that we have every film from every corner of the nation is considered a national uh cinema is because we have love pouring in from all these places. right now.
(28:01) Of course, um when I go and do a Hindi film, there's language, >> there's a new team that I'm working with, there's a new uh industry that I'm working with. And the working is a little different from our style of working. But at the same time at no point when I'm working in a particular film do I feel like I'm an outsider because these days in our film Branabali we have uh Jishnos >> who's from Bombay >> Bengal >> Bengali Bengal Bengal >> working with us so all of us are working as a team right now you have when I did
(28:38) film called cocktail we had Santa who's from Chennai >> working with us so it's not just you know this industry may only these these industry people are working so you feel like an outsider now you're doing a collective work you're all putting in the same amount of effort to make a good cinema happen >> so like that now I don't feel like you know when I'm working a particular project I feel like an outsider they don't make us feel and also the audience there there's so much love pouring in from the u an audience everywhere in the
(29:11) nation so I feel like you know the barriers that we set for ourselves in terms of no we speak different languages or we are different industries those like boundaries are blurring you know and we don't need it we all live in the same country I don't think you know I'm very glad that it's all blurring and in the rightly uh way because we have very interesting stories that even if it's rooted from a place called Anandpur the nation needs to know the world needs to know and because of these platforms and because of these people willing to watch
(29:45) cinema from different languages. We're getting to create something like this. We're bringing more aware. We're making it more aware for these things, right? So, I think it's a beautiful time to be in the industries right now. >> You want my opinion on this? >> Yes, 100%. [laughter] >> I'll have like three four angles.
(30:05) >> I would love some Bollywood gossips also. that much [laughter] under so I don't have a talk >> but I think generally uh two three aspects to this one thing is when you talk about industries being closed off I think it's generally in human nature not to want an another person like be it a shop on a street doesn't want another chai shop to come or another barber shop to come or another hospital in the same area so every industry is actually very closed off you ideally everyone wants to protect whatever ever is there and then
(30:38) you have friends and then you have family and you ideally want to pass on whatever you have built to your own in a way. So not just the Hindi film industry industries across will be uh very guarded and closed and very hard for anybody from the outside to come. This is reality check for uh it continues to be.
(30:59) So the second part of this is that beyond all this cinema is business. So if you can create value for yourself somehow that you need to figure then they don't care now working with you is money so then everything goes out of the window and everything in the industry as a business trans no hard feelings >> as long as I carry value I will be surrounded by producers directors lots of love you will make some genuine relationships you treat them with love and respect the day I don't carry value they won't be there they won't walk you to your car and call you and find out
(31:32) how you're doing and come home to meet you. No hard feelings uh because it's a business in the end and they have to move on. A director has needs an actor who can bring him who can play his role and bring him value for the money a producer is putting in. He has no option. The producer will put in money when he gets a cast that can pull off that sort of budget.
(31:52) How muchever he might love me or not. Uh so in the end it's you just have to treat it as no hard feelings. You take all the love with detachment and when if nobody cares for you also it's it's part of the business that's not life that's work. So you treat it like that and you go. So as long as you add value there is value and people can make money off you uh there will always any industry will open its its uh doors to you.
(32:21) See >> he's a very like very logical very practical kind of guy. Okay that's him. But I also when you mentioned it I remember one video of him that I saw where he was asking Sguru about why hair loss happens and then he goes on like why there's no H on your head [laughter] like I feel little I feel little embarrassed by it.
(32:44) I'm like [laughter] a >> that is so unbothered. I loved it. This is so cute >> because I was really concerned then about [laughter] I think it was a stage in life where I was really concerned about >> you know generally when you say something when when you're saying out of some feeling in your heart what do you want to hear you want something like a emotional support >> he'll give logistics of it >> like you feeling it why this is happening >> logic logic >> yeah logic uh behind it okay >> I think >> I mean right now I don't need logic
(33:14) [laughter] >> so now she's figured a system she'll be like now I just want you to listen don't give me advice. So whenever she wants genuine advice she'll ask me >> she'll be like now just listen. >> So even if I have things to say or I think my your my brain is wired to try and solve things.
(33:32) I don't like to chitchat. >> I like chitchatting. >> She wants to talk and feel it and stuff for me. It's like solve and move on kind of thing. So yeah >> it's [snorts] just basically it's how men look into a connection and how women look into a connection. Totally. I read this book called men are from Mars, women are from Venus.
(33:51) Oh, my life is sorted. What's [laughter] that? >> Then whatever I do differently like you are from Mars. >> You're from Mars. >> So she's >> very sorted. Please I highly suggest and recommend that [laughter] book to anyone in a relationship. >> I want to talk about the movie but before that I there's this one scene I loved Shan Singh by the way.
(34:11) I loved the movie so much and I really loved the fact there's this one [clears throat] scene in the movie where the Dave Dasi Rossi she had the opportunity to just leave with her boyfriend with a lover but that woman you know I really noticed this because most of the stories or whatever history we talk about it comes from a man's perspective uh most of the stories are written by men most of the history is recorded by men from a man's perspective men's stories it's always men there's hardly any women are playing any role in the history. The one thing
(34:42) that I loved about Sham Singh Roy is that the Rosie is someone yeah she was a dasi she was going through and there's this guy who's coming and falling in love with her and she had the opportunity to leave the place at that night. The guy comes in and he chooses one girl to be with her that night. And uh it was not even that girl.
(35:01) It was not even Rosie. It was another a young child and this woman who could have just left the place and could have lived a really good life with her lover chose not to do that and chose to stand up for that girl. And I truly really love that you wrote that scene in the movie because she's not just someone who's waiting for a hero to come save her.
(35:20) Did you keep that intentionally or is it just something like that's like a oh let's just protect some scene or how do you see a women's role in history or or in any film making I'm asking >> so speaking of that scene particularly I felt guilty when I wrote that key because she's comfortably leaving because what about the other woman we've been establishing there so I felt like addressing their thing so that the the topic comes like so that the protagonist enters there and you know do [clears throat] some justice I mean killing that guy otherwise if she leaves
(35:49) that's not making sense because what about the other women they need some liberation something has to happen so that's the motive to write that and also to show the greatness of the character >> do you see that in the upcoming years would we get to see more of women's stories in the >> absolutely >> movies she's doing good >> absolutely now >> even MSG biopic and it's all >> sto I'm getting I thought you were like a perfect fit [laughter] the face and everything I thought you would be a perfect fit >> thank you hopefully
(36:19) has to just come in. Uh but on a general note so many filmmakers so many see uh initially there were these debutant filmmakers who wanted to first you know do a film that they've written for a woman and you know just do like cinema in a small budget maybe but now there are all kinds of filmmakers writing things for women entrusting women to lead a film and also it's no more that she's a part a small part in a big film.
(36:51) It's like we know women can deliver. We know she can poetry. We know she can shoulder this thing and we trust her. They'll they're putting the money in it and audience are walking in to watch this and they're supporting and like he was saying movies are business. Women today is able to lead a business as well which I think the massive shift is happening.
(37:19) Now you're focused on okay I want to tell the story from whose perspective whose perspective feels right a man's perspective or a woman's perspective now it's no more like of course there's always you know uh for a while at least going to be a difference seeing okay a hero and a heroine but the shift is happening and we have >> and the girlfriend was a great example by the way >> first time we got to see a women's perspective you know >> yeah yeah because even when I heard that film I was like Rahul I have no idea idea you being a man how you've written
(37:50) it and that's what I'm saying like there's so many men who see who feel who know and they're coming forth and writing something like this which like I want to be a part of these films because if a man is able to write something like this and he's able to direct something like this I'm like that's incredible like today I'm shooting for my son and I'm like there it's nothing lesser than a hero's film I'm absolutely the action he's like he's not treating me like a woman saying okay women can only do so much he's making me do things that you
(38:23) know I'm in fact having to talk to my team and they're like okay like you know you got to do it and I'm doing it because I don't want to I don't want people to come to this film thinking okay we're going and watching a woman fight no >> it's it's action anyone you give a man or a woman action they will deliver and I'm here to deliver so I'm going to deliver so even if you know I break something or do something or something happens and I go home I'm like today's shoot was really hard but I'll next day turn up and deliver that's the thing I
(38:56) feel like the filmmakers are feeling more confident with us because we are more confident within ourselves to deliver something like that you know in in women's storytelling particularly I think Telugu industry was way ahead of its time back then I think in the '9s '50s or something uh I'm not sure if if it's I read about it long back uh Banumati if I'm not wrong she made a movie she was the writer director producer and she played double action role and uh she fought with the tiger in the movie I mean it's not original tiger
(39:30) >> for even Vijay Shanti [clears throat] m she was a superstar >> like people still talks about Vijay Shanti to me by the way >> yeah she's uh she's hardcore like also >> yeah yeah I love her she's [laughter] awesome and Telugu cinema was always way ahead of its time when it comes to storytelling, women's storytelling.
(39:50) You know I in my period when I was a child I watched Agent Tati and I'm like that's still one of my favorite film like how I want to carry myself. I got it most of the part from the Jakama like I want to be like that woman. When I saw the movie that's what I thought even though it was a horror film.
(40:08) Do you kind of feel like the recent Telago cinema is somewhere going downhill in terms of portraying a woman? >> No. Right now I feel Telugu cinema is uh battling or being very ambitious about pushing its boundaries. Now we have discovered new markets to conquer and also we discovered our own potential what we can deliver. >> So in that process some sensitivities might not might be overlooked but uh there is always that sensibility about uh you know uh writing women characters and giving space for them.
(40:37) It's been there because be it in the older generations we have that influences and all and again it's all about capitalistic mindset also. So it's all about business what we are investing and all and when we are over ambitious no sensibilities take back step. So that's what may be happening but I think we'll settle and bring back that legacy soon is what I believe.
(40:56) >> I actually did a video about Telugu industry and its recent controversies with the how they portray women and all >> 4% of the women are working in the film sets like most of the storytelling are coming from a man's perspective. >> The people who are in the deciding positions the director producer all of them are men.
(41:16) The people who are coming into the theater to watch a movie are men largely men from the age 20 to 40. >> So somehow the as you said it's it's also a money-m thing. You know movies have to make money. Do you think like it's to just to appeal the audience women are being objectified in the movies? I feel like I can't like when you say 1950s Telugu cinema was doing superb things with women or if today women are being objectified I don't think you can give credit or discredit to an industry >> I don't think it's an industry thing it's an individual's thing like if vijay
(41:51) shanti >> don't you think I don't think any other industry has this many people let it be bananati uh sitri ma'am >> so I think I need to give credit to banumati sitriu and vijay shanti for ma'am for pushing those limits, creating those markets. Some of them produced their own films. So I think it's a and some definitely there would have been a system support.
(42:15) There would be other people in the system that supported them. When you when we talk about an industry, we're talking about a really wide demographic. You're talking about people coming from all sorts of different regions, >> different societal experiences, different upbringing, different kind of exposure, different kind of stories they are telling.
(42:35) So there's going to be a variety of takes >> on what kind of story they write, how they write their woman characters, who's writing a woman character, who's not. So I think it's left to individuals and that'll keep that variation will always be there where you'll have some films that people find problematic where you have films that you celebrate.
(42:55) Uh that uh that plus minus will always be there. It'll never become >> one kind of thing because the kind of people we have are all very different. No in like a in a billion population you have all kinds of different people. One of them becomes a writer director. He's going to tell it from that kind of lensing and perspective.
(43:16) He will write from his childhood, his exposure, the books he read, >> the kind of world he lives and his view of the world. >> He tells it like that. Rahul Praindran tells it like that. Sepanga tells it in his way. So I think everyone it's like individuals and when the film works they continue to be able to explore in that.
(43:38) So I don't think we can group a Tamil industry or Telugu industry or Hindi industry like that makes sense. >> Yeah. Also we talk when we talk about these films we talk only about popular films >> because Telugu industry is the one of the highest number of you know film making uh industry. So we hardly see the 10% of the films but if you see there is so much of small films which is great job with women writing and so many women writers directors who are very active right now in Terugu and I can see a lot of change in 10 years in these last 10
(44:07) years I can see so much of >> exactly I was just going to say in the last 10 years initially I felt like there were a lot of men working in the teams but now I'm seeing one wave of women working in all these positions as well. So mostly work in direction costume there is that segmentation is there because the hard labor will be always done by the men like the light department dolly.
(44:31) >> No that's that's also one more thing like I was shooting for a brand and uh I saw a woman handler camera >> I was like dude I I just got goosebumps on that. I was like let's go and a lot of uh women dops are coming are coming and we have technicians also on our set we have >> yeah editors first they'll come into those departments and then we need to >> mad cool historical fact >> India's first editor >> was a woman >> yeah was a woman by the way so let's get into the movie >> yes [laughter] >> yes previous biggest topic
(45:06) >> and uh for the director sir I'm so so so grateful ful that you chose to talk about it because this is always a comparison in my mind. I'm a history graduate and uh I don't even remember reading about this mine in my college days probably would have been the one or two pages. So when I got to know about all the things there's always a comparison in my mind that um you know the Germany Hitler Nazi thing >> there if not thousands there are hundreds of movies made on it.
(45:38) People keep talking about it again and again till this day they always hold Hitler accountable that massacre that happened they always hold him accountable the west keeps talking about it there's so much noise that even a child sitting in Tamil Nadu would know about who Hitler is and what he did to the Jews but 6 million people were killed by Hitler >> in India 10 million people died in this famine the Madras famine that we're talking about which is 1 k people back then the India's population would have been around what 30 30
(46:10) >> 35 30 >> something imagine out of 30 K people 1 k people died in a span of 2 years this is the scale we are talking about and there's absolutely nothing in the cinema about this particular topic so when I first got to know this is what the movie is about I'm like so grateful I'm so freaking grateful finally finally someone is talking about it just boils me blood so much people did this big of a massacre and just got away with it like like it's nothing.
(46:40) And we also taught to be grateful to the British for building the railways. >> But the same jails also cost the fine. >> I'm [clears throat] so so so glad you chose to talk about it and I'm so glad. But I want to know why out of all the stories, this is like a very uh long story for you to cover. It's not some one incident that can be done like Bahubali or something.
(47:05) This is something uh going to be very tragic story. Why do you choose to cover this about this one? Did you come across this when I was when you were a child or just happened to read and went on to search about it? >> No, actually when I was looking for my next story, I was working on multiple points and my brother helped me in writing and uh >> these things.
(47:25) [clears throat] So when I've decided I want to tell one culturally rooted story like a rural subject and royal cinema backdrop and all we were looking for we started digging into the history of royal cinema because I wanted to let's go back in time and see what's there out there. So I I remember that one particular night I was in Goa for this uh film festival.
(47:46) I was alone and having my dinner and my brother called me and sent me the one link and he said read that's about the Madras family and because Royal Sim was part of the Madras and I was having my dinner and I read it and the amount of stats it stated. It's Wikipedia. It's not about like somebody from you know extreme right wrote it.
(48:02) So it's like it's like 85 million I mean 85 lakh people died. It was the wiki quotes. I was like is it possible like within 2 years 76 to 78 and later I read about rest of the famines 18 such major famines happened in 250 years and I was like all put together like closely like 20 year or something like what is this nobody no film happened and no major discussion is happening no politician talking about it and it shook me I got scared like can we tell this story like what could be the canvas like what can we tell you know to to portray this kind
(48:35) of a topic to the And I also felt like uh because as you mentioned Nazis about the Nazis like Jews they never forget and they made so many films and beautifully told their problems and pain the whole thing we Indians we had these kind of so many atrocities happened over thousand years of invasions or whatever and we have the we are chill like I don't know like we we we didn't make big fuss about it all the films made on British were mostly about the independence like you know that 30 years of period of the entire
(49:06) INC from there to independence but what happened before was like grave genocides happened so I was like I'm going to you know let's tell this story to the world and that's where it started and Vijay joined and >> and don't you also think because there were not many films about this because history as a subject was was mainly focused on the mainland India it highly ignored the south India and uh even the Bengal for the fact >> the other parts of the India was not considered that big of a deal when it comes to industry. Uh have you guys know
(49:37) about this Nagasima Readyala Nagasim? >> My mind was blown when I first got to know about this guy. Imagine this guy 1850 >> similar period. All of them to 30 years. >> Yes. >> And all these guys 3035 they were all >> they're gone >> like >> 10 years before the first war of independence that we studying in school as the first war of independence against the British sitting in Ray Sema.
(50:03) This guy literally made a rebellion. Thousands of people joined this guy. British was so pissed off with this guy. They literally had to kill him. And then they just put his head on a fort and let it be there for 30 years so the people could see and do not have the courage to rebel against them again. >> Such a courageous person.
(50:25) But I never read about him in my college. I didn't even study history in school. I did a major in >> Yeah. And you didn't have >> I had no idea. So don't you think a large part of uh I personally believe the other parts of history in India in it comes to South India, Northeast, everything was majorly ignored in our school as well.
(50:45) So that's why I don't blame it. There are not many movies because you don't even get to study about it. Then how can you complain about not having movies about Ha. >> Exactly. It's important to I think from a from a young age let kids know the history of India because I am one of I consider myself well read. I consider myself to have enough exposure.
(51:05) I didn't know of Sir Richard Temple. I know of Hitler. I know of the Holocaust. I know what they did. I know more of an incident that happened in Europe and what happened was tragic. I'm not even trying to say trying to compare, but I'm saying if 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, I know the visuals. I feel bad.
(51:29) I feel sympathetic to what they went through even then, but I don't even know what happened to our I had no idea of the Madras famine. When he showed me the pictures of Madras famine and Bengal famine, I was shocked by how the streets were filled. They here they would call it dkalakaru >> because people's ribs were all out and their and when I started reading more and understood that these period of famines which was a Bengal famine, Madras famine again Bengal famine in 1940s changed our genetics.
(51:59) >> Exactly. >> Uh I was like how can I not know this? And this Rahul was mentioning this to me. It was like the Jews ensured that people knew what happened to them, know what happened to them by repeatedly telling that story, telling different parts of the story. Our history has so much that is not we don't know about.
(52:18) [snorts] And sometimes I see people talking about it's okay Britisher 200 years they ruled us for that. Now you guys make films repeatedly on this subject. I'm like when you know of the things that 150 years ago is nothing. It's like my great-grandfather's time. It's just like two generations before when I used to be on set, we were shooting these things of the labor being made to build tracks.
(52:45) That was complete slavery what they did. Until today there are huge amounts of people who are in like Tamilians in Sri Lanka, Indians in Barbados, West Indies across because as soon as slavery got abolished, they took people from here as labor there for basic uh wages to show that we are not slaves. And now we have Indian population across like a vast part of the world because they were all enslaved in a way.
(53:14) And when you know of all this history and this Bengal famine like 6 7 million people uh died this Madras famine the numbers are all between 6 to 10 million different sources and like even when you read about the massacre that happened after the Mangal Pande the revolt the rising uh in Delhi when the description of written documents from there of horses just slipping on the roads because people's guts and blood were everywhere.
(53:46) Apparently the sight of it was a different world like 1850s uh and all the law of the world was you win a battle you have 3 days to plunder rape uh that was the reward for people fighting uh that was understood that 3 days nobody said anything you take what you want uh you rape you kill uh and you do whatever those that was the kind of world uh these people lived in.
(54:13) So when you hear of multiple such accounts and details of what was written then it's like I'm like how how is this okay and it's important for us to remind ourselves and the world about what the country went through because I feel like a bunch of traders coming and taking over India because all of us were fighting internal battles.
(54:36) Nobody thought thought thought of some outsider is coming and taking over our resources and our country. Some money lender in Kolkata wanted to settle a dispute. He was apparently then the richest guy in the world. He funded the British to find a fight a battle on be on his behalf against somebody who hadn't repaid him or talked to him badly.
(54:57) They settled in Kolkata making it their base and then everybody so many like there's one very interesting character in the film one very interesting layer which talks about how many Indians in a way for their personal needs >> own benefits were a cause for a lot of these things to happen >> otherwise like 100 traders can't come and do this unless you have so many and I feel even today we keep we are divided on multiple lines We always like you're dark, I am white.
(55:30) You're speaking Tamil, I'm speaking Hindi. We just find constantly ways to differentiate this cast. This cast discussion is like I don't know what purpose it's serving. How can a country is it is it increasing our GDP? Is it increasing the level of living quality of life of people? Are we becoming a stronger nation? If it's not serving any of this purpose, these are all at some point you have to let go of some things.
(55:58) They were there at some point for some purpose, you need to let go when they're not uh serving. So, so sometimes it disturbs me that maybe not much has changed. But we cannot let our internal little battles that are happening across on base of cast, region, religion. I know that China is going all out. You know, your neighbors are going all out.
(56:20) [clears throat] It's not long before they're going to try and step in and build on these internal strifees that are there. It's very easy to put in some money and create more chaos. And we feel by knowing this history from a very young age, you have to that creates some sort of exposure amongst people and you have to start seeing it with a vision that we don't let this happen again in a way.
(56:41) >> And it's crazy how um our bodies remember it. Uh we might not remember it. We might not know of it but example today if you're thinking oh I haven't eaten anything but why am I putting on weight your body remembers from it's in your DNA that your ancestors had to go through something like this. So it is >> it has learned to hold on >> it has learned to hold on to the weight and hold on to the energy that it is thinking what if this happens again we need to protect ourselves and hence our bodies are like sad that this it's crazy
(57:19) and you're thinking oh I've do I'm doing everything in my power I'm in my diet and I'm working out and that and my body is not responding but it's in your gene it's in your genetics so that's what like your body will remember it even if you don't remember it. It's insane. >> What's one pain point in the movie that when you were actually shooting it, it broke you so bad? >> I now when we eat at home, so me and her are on a diet, which means we eat pretty much the same thing.
(57:48) It's eggs, chicken, vegetables, 365 days, unless I'm on a holiday. Some you get tired of eating the same and it's healthy. And then I'm like, ah, it's work. I don't want to eat. And then I'm like people were starving for just some plain rice. They were mixing uh salt with black sand and sand and eating in those times. Apparently there is incidence of salt and sand or spice and they were eating >> sand and curd.
(58:16) >> Sand and curd. There's a festival they celebrate till today in some regions where uh uh in that festival they mix little sand and curd and take a bite. People have forgotten why we do this. We do a lot of rituals without knowing what. But it started to remind people that this was how things were.
(58:35) Now when food is there, I'm getting three meals a day, 2,000 calories a day. Keep telling her I keep telling her cannot waste this, man. People didn't have food once and uh you just if you miss one day of food, you know how that hunger feels. >> Yeah. Like one meal you don't have and you're like you're going all crazy.
(58:54) >> Yeah. start getting angry and this but to feel starvation and die of starvation >> that is some pain that many of us know or even can think about. >> Yeah. So I think when we were on these sets and they would he had all these very skinny looking we still can't get that level of skinny looking people today but uh when we had all these people I was like I was like this was all reality for us it's a film shoot but it all this genuinely happened at one point which is really disturbing. Yeah.
(59:25) So I respect my food a lot more and I >> Yeah. Like you know sometimes when you're really stuffed and you're like you know uh let me just keep this aside. No either don't put it in my plate or it's going all inside and I'm grateful for this. [laughter] So in theta and people come out of the after watching what is one message you guys want them to carry with them? What is one thing that you would expect them to feel after watching the movie? taken.
(59:55) I just want personally I feel they should remember this a history what really happened and be conscious about it's not to complain like you have done this to me. There's nothing we'll get out of it. It's not but it's the responsibility and duty of any generation to teach the next generation what happened before because history teaches you to be aware so that it won't repeat and you won't get the false uh narrative so that you know it's it's your uh legacy.
(1:00:20) You should learn as it is. So before you learn Akbar is great, Akbar the great, you just learn what actually happened is what I feel should happen from through this film. >> You know, there's a there's a saying in history that we say a lot. If the lion doesn't tell its story, the hunter will say >> exactly >> his version of the story.
(1:00:43) >> I think that's what happened to India for a very long time. And I'm so grateful we lion finally are coming out and saying the story. I'm so grateful for the team sir. Thank you so much for doing this. >> And definitely when I saw them together, the first poster right after their marriage, oh my god, you guys were gorgeous together.
(1:01:02) I was like, you know, I always imagine myself how I would look married as a woman. I always imagine like that. [laughter] >> You guys are looking amazing together and so grateful you guys chose to do this film. And do you want to say any final message to people? Ranabali as a film was a revelation to me and uh if not for Rahul's research and stuff maybe I wouldn't have opened my mind to this chapter in history.
(1:01:30) So I'm very grateful that uh I got an opportunity uh and this film came my way to play it. We are hoping to we've made a really good film uh that will show you insights to our story. This is our my history. This is your history. use our parents' history and also a beautiful entertaining exciting film because we survived these chapters of history only because of our culture and our beliefs and our society and system.
(1:01:59) So it's a beautiful mix between those two and 100% you'll be transported to another world. Uh a very you'll feel like you're in 1800s India. So that's something that Rahul's achieved and uh I hope you all uh experience this film and uh come out feeling uh impacted by it. I'd like to say that >> October 16th [laughter] >> it's going to be a beautiful heartfelt very heart-wrenching also uh a cinematic experience for everyone who's going to watch the film and also we are bringing forth something that happened in the history so that it doesn't happen in the
(1:02:39) future. So the more we are aware of why what happened and what actually happened um I think it'll sort of keep us aware like how Rahul was saying to our future because we don't want it to go like a loop it has to go forward we need to move forward as a country as you know as human beings we need to move forward so uh this is a little eyeopener to what happened in our history all of our history um and we hope that it sort of brings a sense of responsibility but also gives you the cinematic experience um of watching this whole craft come
(1:03:21) together. >> I'm excited for the film. >> Yeah, I hope as [laughter] a historian you love it. >> Oh, I as a cinema lover, not just I think it's a cinematic experience. >> Cinematic experience. Yeah. >> So, >> I I look forward I think this should be our first film review. Do you do film reviews? >> I don't usually. I think I'll do it.
(1:03:39) I think now [laughter] you look forward. >> Thanks for doing this with me. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. [applause]
Author Name:Keerthi
Youtube Channel Url:https://www.youtube.com/@KeerthikaGovindhasamy
Youtube Video URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=043qBi8qw-Q
Title: Rashmika & Vijay Exclusive : "We feel a little EMBARRASSED by it"
Author Name: Keerthi
Description: One of India’s favourite couples, Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda, join me for their first interview since their wedding, alongside the director of their upcoming film Ranabaali, Rahul Sankrityan.
They open up about how life has been since their wedding, whether Bollywood really is a closed club, and why the history of our own country rarely makes it into our textbooks.
Sitting across from rashmika and Vijay, I got to see little glimpses of them beyond the usual questions and answers.
From marriage & relationships to cinema & history, we spoke about everything in between.
What started as a conversation around the film turned into something much more personal and unexpected.
This one felt really special to me. ❤️
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About Me :
I am a passionate History Graduate with a deep love for uncovering the forgotten stories of India. With a keen eye for detail and a relentless drive to uncover the truth, I have dedicated my life to exploring the rich and complex history of country, shedding light on the forgotten aspects of India's past. Through my tireless research and dedication to the craft, I am committed to ensuring that the legacy of India's rich cultural heritage will never be forgotten!
Transcript:
(00:04) What does it feel like to be finally married? >> I'm super happy to be married to her. Like it's one blessing. I don't even know when it became a relationship. [laughter] >> There are so many people who admire you for your kindness and the way you are. And for the same reason, you also get the tools.
(00:22) What What do you have to say about that? >> I choose [music] to be like this and I'm very happy being like this because this is just me. There's a lot of sort of negative [music] things that's going around that I want to believe in kindness. And even if people call that overacting when I look at you and when we're having some conversation, I just know a few things.
(00:43) We don't have to talk about it, you know, [music] and I feel this with a lot of women out there and that's why I have a very big compliance for the filmmakers. [music] When you see Tamil heroes, all of them look like someone I would see on my streets. [music] >> But I could never see someone who looks like me on the cinema. >> Why did Indians think white skin [music] is is attractive and not dusky skin? Our mindsets were manipulated like that because you know fairness is the goodness.
(01:11) [music] All of us talking about this also will not change it because just embedded in human nature. when I go and do a Hindi film when I'm working in a particular [music] film do I feel like I'm an outsider because in India 10 million people died [music] in this fine the metas fine that we're talking about all the films made on British [music] were mostly about the independence but what happened before was like a rave genocides happened changed our genetics sometimes it disturbs me [music] that we are divided on multiple lines we always like you're
(01:42) dark I am white you're speaking Tamil I'm speaking Hindi >> when it comes to south India northeast [music] everything was majorly ignored so that's why I don't blame it there are not many [music] movies because >> okay rolling >> this is [clears throat] your first interview as Mrs and Mrs together what does it feel like to be finally married after being in a relationship for so many years how many years you haven't revealed that yet >> in a relationship >> I don't even know when it became a relationship [laughter]
(02:16) I think it just all uh being colleagues went into a friendship a long friendship at some time became a comfort merged into some sort of a relationship >> I think uh everyone around us saw it before we saw it like example our friends >> our uh parents >> at some point I think it became like a relationship and then I I took some time because I'm like a slow fellow [laughter] and I like to I take time and then and then how is marriage? I'm super happy to be married to her.
(02:51) Like it's one blessing >> at the at the same time nothing's changed. So I still don't a lot of times we're talking to people uh and I'm like oh my girlfriend will come uh can you drop this? >> You still call her a girlfriend? >> Yeah. She does the same and then I'm like okay wait she's my wife. [laughter] A lot of times I type girlfriend and then I have to backtrack and type wife.
(03:12) So we forget we forget that. Uh yeah. >> Yeah. >> You know there's there's a thing that psychologists say when you be with someone for so many years that you are in love you are building a life together >> and uh there's a huge difference between just being in a relationship and actually being married because when you actually make that commitment that proposal or a wedding it creates a sort of a mental shift in you you know it's like you are moving from one phase of the relationship into another phase.
(03:40) So I I really am curious to know is there any difference between just being in a relationship and being a married couple? >> I would like to say no. U for us somehow it's we have not really seen or felt any differently. The difference came with his puppy >> Storm. >> Okay. [laughter] I feel like uh even though not much has changed suddenly you feel like in a different way you feel like this this is my person >> she's completely my responsibility everything she goes through I go through like her every joy is my joy her every
(04:20) before that when you're in a relationship also it's there >> where you're sharing responsibility you're protecting each other you're calming each other you're celebrating things but you're celebrating ating your girlfriend's victory. You're sharing her pain. You're supporting her through a tough time. I feel like post the wedding, it feels like I'm celebrating my own victory.
(04:42) It doesn't feel like you're celebrating your girlfriend's victory. Like uh once you're a wife, like anything that troubles her hurts me with an equal intensity. It doesn't feel like it's somebody else's. I think that shifts. I don't know why it happens or I don't know if it's a whole formality of doing it and now you know that you're just going to build a future together or something but I think that definitely happens in a whole holistic way.
(05:11) That shift will happen. >> So I uh actually have a very personal connection with Rashika. >> So my first break I got on the internet because she shared one of my videos in her story. >> What are you saying? >> Really? Yes. When I when did you start watching history videos? [laughter] >> What video did she say? >> So it was about [laughter] you have no idea.
(05:36) >> Yeah. Like yeah it was 4 years back. It was about uh a women rebel called Bunu Nacha from Tamil Nadu. So I just spoke about that uh women and she shared that video on her story and that's how I got my first break. >> Women rebel. Okay. Now I understand. I understand why you [laughter] f Uh uh >> so there's this one video of Rash Mika that I really really that made me see her in a very different way that uh you were in one of your assistant wedding and uh it was just a video that came out and you wearing a very simple savvy. The
(06:09) guy the groom was looking at you and you were like no no no go go go. You were saying that and that was so sweet. You know I really think consideration is something when you have the power to occupy a space and you decide not to do that. I want to know is that something that comes to you very naturally or you do you just consciously do that because that is something that that made me see you in a very different light after that video.
(06:32) You you are the literally the most uh famous one of the most famous actresses in India. You could have dressed in a very grand way but you chose to wear a simple sagi and uh you you just looked like any other girl in that wedding. It was a very simple wedding. Uh do you remember that video? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. It was uh my assistant's wedding and see there are these moments where you can go out there, you can be yourself, you can shine any moment you want because you have the liberty and the uh love from people to do so. But there are these
(07:02) moments where the moment is not yours. It is someone else's. And I'm not someone who would like to sort of steal that from them. When it's their celebration of victory or their celebration in general of life, you should just let that be. And it was him just entering his into his wedding and he wanted me next to him.
(07:21) I was like, "No, this is completely your moment." And I like I was hoping that I wasn't even there, you know, because I didn't want the distraction to be, you know, like the minds to be diverted. But isn't that how it's all supposed to be? Like, yeah, I just felt it was the right thing to do at that moment. And >> but there's this groundedness that you have.
(07:44) It also kind of creates a contradiction in how people perceive you, you know, like uh you have a very massive fan following, but at the same time, you also have a lot of online trolls and negativities, a lot of hate coming your way. And I'm not going to just simply ask you like how you're handling the negativity and all. I want to get into how people perceive you.
(08:04) You know, in media, we say there's a thing called male gaze and female gaze. A male gaze is how uh a man would look at a woman, how attractive she is, how beautiful. Uh it's it's more like, oh, I want to get her. But a female gaze is more like she's more relatable. She's more, you know, she's such a kind person and I see something of myself in her.
(08:23) And that's the difference. And you are a very good example of it. I I would say I think uh when people admire you, mostly women, it's coming from a female gay coded like oh this is something I see something myself in her. uh even if you take the girlfriend and all and uh that's also I think is one of the very big reason why there are so many people who admire you for your kindness and the way you are and for the same reason you also get the trolls what do you have to say about that >> I'll tell you sir I have not related to
(08:57) her but a lot of the trolling across politics people uh actors generally a A lot of it is manufactured. You can only have feelings genuinely on someone when you've met them, interacted with them, >> spent some time or had one conversation. When you haven't even met that person, how can you have such a strong opinion on their personality? Because it'll come from one manufacturing [clears throat] when a section decides for whatever reasons that we want to create this opinion about her.
(09:31) It's very easy in today's uh date and time with with social media and now everybody is given a platform and everybody can have 15 20 accounts like one person can decide I want to create a narrative and it can >> a big industry just for the PR better. >> Yeah. So once somebody manufactures that opinion and then in the 100 things you do if there is one or two things that you say that match that confirmation bias even if it's out of context.
(09:59) Now you take that you match it to this and there is there will be machinery working to to set that narrative. >> And the thing is that this is not even new. There is nothing we can complain about. That's the life you have to live. You have to face it and you have to continue doing what you have to do because these are the narratives.
(10:17) Since history winners have decided what is going to be written since history like the what we are talking about the famine was was not there in my syllabus when I studied. There was no mention of the famine. I was taught that the Indian railways was built by the British. No one told me how they built it. Why did Indians think white skin is is attractive and not dusky skin? Even though today dusky skin is talked about a lot and I love dusky skin, somebody decided to put the narrative that fair is beautiful and dark is not beautiful
(10:48) so much >> and it was systematically done >> systematically done through marketing through through the white people having the soft power to put this communication through cinema through music through magazines till imagine your own people everybody who's dusky has bought into that that my skin is not good I need to become unfair.
(11:09) This is just like propaganda. Now, as soon as if if you're from a white civilization and you make white good, now you're in a superior place and everyone is looking to be like you. That is power. To be able to do that, to convert people, religious conversions is soft power. To teach people language that you have to speak this language in in a way the west has power over us because we all have are speaking English.
(11:33) If some other if the French took over and the world was speaking French, France would have so much power. Yes. >> If if the Kakata or the Chalukia or if one of our emperor Ma Empire or someone decided to expand and most of the country was speaking Tamil or Telugu or any Indian Hindi, we would have had so much soft power.
(11:55) So these are things that have been happening from time from time itself and they continue today in multiple forms be it attacking a woman for something she's doing being at attacking a man for something there are just different narratives that serve the purpose of different sections of people who don't look at the broader picture.
(12:14) They're just looking at their one one selfish need. we want this salt for that very narrow-mindedly we go about things and unfortunately that's the way of life and she'll just have to you shouldn't let it affect you till it changes your behavior if you know who you are you continue and you know your purpose what you're doing we continue doing what we do because this there is nothing that can stop it me you all of us talking about this also will not change it because just embedded in human nature to do it for different reasons Continuing
(12:47) to what he said. [clears throat] Personally, I believe that kindness is not weakness. And I'm someone who want to choose to be kind because there's a lot of negative emotions or feelings or things that's going around that I want to believe in kindness. I want to bring some sort of positivity.
(13:12) And even if people call that overacting or people call that whatever things that they call, it's fine. Not everyone is everyone's cup of tea, you know. Uh but I choose to be like this and I'm very happy being like this because this is just me and I don't have to pretend to do this, you know. This is real and I can't fake to just make someone happy, you know.
(13:33) I feel like this is keeping me happy. This is keeping my family happy. these are keeping my you know friends and well-wishes and you know all of us happy so >> and women are admiring it by the way so it's not just the >> I think because all of us sort of you know in a very baseline sort of go through similar things in life um to some extent >> uh in like in terms of like curfews having curfews when you're young parents say you have to come back by this time oh which is of course the right thing to do because you know they're looking
(14:03) after our safety and stuff but these are some things that we've all gone through and somewhere I think women like I when I look at you and when we're having some conversation I just know a few things we don't have to talk about it you know and I feel this with a lot of women out there and that's why like with my team also when I like talk about something that I want to do with our girl gang and stuff like that I'm like you guys will not understand you know let me just do my thing like I understand I get it so
(14:32) yeah I think that's very different and these are not some things that you can put into words. It's just with a look you understand or with a little you know just like one little hold in the hand you just understand. >> So yes, >> so you just mentioned about dusky skin and how it's embedded [clears throat] into the society that it's being looked down upon and I have a very big complaint.
(14:57) I'm I'm a Tamil girl by the way. I'm coming from Tamil. You know when I used to watch your videos first you tell your R in a particular way. R >> I have rotosism. [laughter] >> Oh I thought I thought does she French people speak like that their Rs are like a R. There's one different R. >> So like is this girl like French a lot and then but in Tamil also you have the >> then I was like ah it must be from the Tamil but you have something else. Huh.
(15:25) Uh it's very interesting that >> it's like a rotosism is a condition where you can't be you can't >> one are [clears throat] French [laughter] people French people speak like that >> so it's it's a much improved version actually when I was a kid it would be like when I say a ra it's a ra is a tamil in Tamil it's a it's a very strong uh sound it's like used everywhere >> I it would sound like ga >> so now after I trained myself so much I could able to so I don't even have a passport phone by the way.
(15:56) >> Okay. >> I mean, I have one which I don't use at all. [laughter] >> Okay. >> So, >> now you know you can go to France. >> And then you know people actually ask me like are you French by any chance? Do I look like a French person? [laughter] >> I'm Tamil basically. And uh I have a very big complaint for the filmmakers >> that you rarely get to see Dusky's skin on the screen as the lead.
(16:23) You know it's it's been a conversation in particularly in Tamil industry people are questioning the filmmakers like we as a in Tamil industry we talk we have always been a very rebellious cinema industry you know we talk about politics cast which is like a every tea shop conversation I talk politics also because I grew up hearing a lot about it just like in everyday conversation but skin color is something that people still look down upon which I would absolutely agree But in the Tamil industry, it's impossible for you to see a lead heroin, someone
(16:57) who look like me as the lead. You know, most of the people who play the heroins in the past 20 years are Punjabis, Cindis, the all the white-kinned super amazing pretty women have no complaints. >> But when you see Tamil heroes from Dashnikans to Pratip Prankadan now, all of them look like someone I would see on my streets.
(17:20) But I could never see someone who looks like me on the cinema. >> And that's almost also the reality in Telugu industry as well. >> What do you have to say about that? >> Rahul thoughts as a no that's a good point. I have a serious complaint about it. >> Especially when I'm building this world Ranabali like if you see I've casted all dark skinned actors in my film completely.
(17:41) Even whoever are fair we tried to make them darker beat Vijay like if you see like his skin tone was never like this in this film because that was true to the world. It has to be like that. But it is a serious problem when you are telling a story of a particular land or particular time and particular people. It has to be I know skin tone is a major thing.
(17:59) >> So that is seriously an aesthetical problem of the film making >> and I think the young generation of film directors now are following it for sure. But it's been like that so far because for the same reason that Vijay was telling we were our our mindsets were manipulated like that because you know fairness is the goodness.
(18:17) So our leads should look like that. So all our uh >> skin products or whatever like they they are selling on the same point is which is fairness >> but it's a good point to discuss and you know we are changing I think the films forward going forward will definitely you know follow this. I think it'll change in the next I think more dusky girls will also feel confident to come once you see the opinion changing and more dusky models more dusky faces on important things and more people are talking like for I love dusky skin uh I
(18:50) love being tanned personally uh if people tell me why you tan I'm like I want to be I love that brown shade that Indians have is the best shade according to We grew different. >> Yeah, it looks different. It looks beautiful. >> Particularly under sun. >> It looks really nice. So I think once these conversations come, people's mindset changes.
(19:13) >> More girls also feel confident. Filmmakers also feel and masses also look at cinema that way. That shift is happening. I think internationally people are reclaiming against propaganda and narrative and marketing that was done over over centuries. Now people are reclaiming why are we trusting this as if this is nature's law.
(19:38) We behave as if God said white is pure and black is dirty like that. They set to one narrative. Really smart of them to do that from their point of view and Dumbo for us to have fallen for it. But uh now we are all we are also smart and we are understanding to think on our own to be able to make choices on our own.
(19:56) So I think it'll change. Voices has a power right so I feel like the lot of more people talking about it sort of helps us look at what it is for the reality of it otherwise you're just thinking in your head and you're just like living through the narratives which are already set for you now so proud of the young people actually having the guts to talk about these things because for generations together we didn't talk about it um so now when I see you know the younger lot saying no this is what I want this seems right why is you know fair skin like
(20:33) this dusky skin like this why they're questioning these things which I think is the route for a change to happen and I just think people should definitely with a lot more confidence just keep talking about it till that change actually happens >> even cinematography wise >> tusky skin is the best thing for cinematographers because when the moment a fair actor walks into the Indian setup like even for our lighting the kind of sun we have they had to struggle a lot to match that skin tone >> for a white person >> the white person fair to light it
(21:05) >> because it's reflects too much light and all that the moment the dark skin the Indian skin brown skin comes now cinemagraphs are very happy because they look very beautiful in their you know realistic frames >> yeah we see the west also spending all their holiday time to look tan >> to get tan now [laughter] tanning creams by the just applying it to look >> t want that that look that brown look.
(21:30) So >> you know this is someone uh I was in Mumbai for 2 years. I was this uh little girl who moved from my village to Mumbai all of a sudden which is the metro metro city you can find. >> I was living in a sharing apartment with few other people and this is one time this guy goes on like they always used to make some comment about my skin color.
(21:51) They all north Indians by the way and uh this one time I made coffee for them. M >> which I always do and I brought it to them in a black cup. No, both of them. They were couple like for the couples I'm getting to you in black cups. Like same same cup I meant. They're like, "Oh, you're the black one and you're giving us the black cups.
(22:06) " I was like, "Damn." >> Okay. Then he goes like, "Uh, have you ever felt insecure about your skin color?" Uh, I was like, "No, not really." Because my color is the one that I grew up seeing, so it's like very normal how I look. And I never really felt insecure, out of place. Maybe now being in a place where there are so many people who are looking differently could be and also maybe people who are darker than me they might have felt that bullying and all those things but this is like a very normal color back in my place and then I couldn't even finish
(22:36) the sentence the guy goes like oh there are people darker than you also >> and this I'm telling you >> is a guy who's just 27 years old >> who's modern enough to live in a living relationship who's earning in lakhs working in corporate and this the mindset of even the young generation has. I was not even offended.
(22:56) I was just so disappointed like >> how shitty you have to be to even think like that. You what is it? There are people darker than you. >> Have you never seen people darker? >> So it's just so crazy that >> we think we are normalizing it but I don't think it's reaching that space yet. You know I in fact uh after like Pushba released the one and two there I had dusk skin right.
(23:22) So uh I remember I was in Bombay and I was like working out and someone in the gym comes up to me and they're like, "Oh, so you look like this." But our parents like our family were always thinking that you know you're like they're very surprised um with what your uh skin tone really is? I'm like when did skin tone become a conversation? Like >> how does it even matter? >> How does it even matter? Like look at what we're doing.
(23:50) Look at you know the world where we are at what we like the work and the talent and the everything. Why is skin tone still a conversation? >> See for somebody who doesn't have exposure at all like imagine I was in 1800 and a white guy walked in. I'm sure I would be like wo why are you so different from all of us? It's a curiosity.
(24:13) But in 2026 if you don't know that there are all kinds of skin tones in the world. There are different ethnicities, but everyone is waking up to work, feed, be happy, spend time with their family. And if you're not going about your work and you're still fascinated like some isolated little I can't use this word, I've got into trouble before [laughter] isolated little group in one island for the first time that is seeing people.
(24:39) Then I'm like, you need to read some books, you need to watch some cinema, you need to travel a bit. and the res >> travel across your country >> watch >> meet people and then mind your own business [laughter] I think that is that those are steps that need to be followed in today's world you should you should know that this 400 years back it's okay you can be like oh there are people like this also oh >> particular of social media >> yeah now now to have these conversations is uh but it's actually very surprising
(25:09) >> because before maybe British or someone >> like we had the stories is like all our protagonists were nothing but gods. >> Correct. >> So all the Rama and Mahabharat everywhere the gods were described how dark beautiful was correct. Correct. >> How that was dark skin was celebrated and projected and suddenly like >> I I've read somewhere that the shift happened even we started portraying gods in white skin after Raja Rayma's painting.
(25:36) I'm not sure about the authentic >> truth that is so but I' I've read somewhere that because Rajayama's time period also happened to be around the same time when the Britishers came in. >> Okay. >> So >> our man got influenced probably. [laughter] >> Yeah. Never know. >> Yeah. In Tamil you know I I was into Tamil [clears throat] literature'ses a lot when I was in school.
(25:56) This is one particular epic that I love a lot in Tamil which is Silipati Gavam which is the story of Kanagi Kovan. And uh when they want to uh describe the women, the heroan, they go on to talk about how curly her hair was and how beautiful that was and how dark her skin is and they're just so beautiful. Earlier back then people used to admire this.
(26:20) Now we have some of the reference we are we have started kind of looking down >> upon it and that's just kind of sad. So I want to uh know until few years back until probably 10 years back the world knew Hindi cinema as the Indian cinema >> correct >> like uh we hardly had any space all our movies were just into our own little worlds and uh people who went from here and succeeded in the Hindi cinema were very less number probably Shri Dvi and one of few I couldn't even remember any other name actually Reika >> who also did not do any Tamil or Telugu
(26:55) movies by the way uh I could only recall Shi Dvi ma'am. >> M >> now you both you are having a very successful career like in pan India and uh Bollywood is a industry that's known for gates closed you know it's like a very insider industry that doesn't let outsiders come in very easily even from the Hindi belt I'm I'm saying so how is Bollywood treating you both >> you're the busier one [laughter] so I think you should >> you have a lot of girls fans by the way I was like And girls are obsessed with you sir. Come on.
(27:28) >> I have no there's lots of love but industry-wise she's doing lots of films. So I think first you should answer then I'll give her my opinion. >> I think uh why Hindi cinema was called national cinema is because Hindi is our official lang. So I feel like now with the quality of film making and the storytelling and the visibility that we have every film from every corner of the nation is considered a national uh cinema is because we have love pouring in from all these places. right now.
(28:01) Of course, um when I go and do a Hindi film, there's language, >> there's a new team that I'm working with, there's a new uh industry that I'm working with. And the working is a little different from our style of working. But at the same time at no point when I'm working in a particular film do I feel like I'm an outsider because these days in our film Branabali we have uh Jishnos >> who's from Bombay >> Bengal >> Bengali Bengal Bengal >> working with us so all of us are working as a team right now you have when I did
(28:38) film called cocktail we had Santa who's from Chennai >> working with us so it's not just you know this industry may only these these industry people are working so you feel like an outsider now you're doing a collective work you're all putting in the same amount of effort to make a good cinema happen >> so like that now I don't feel like you know when I'm working a particular project I feel like an outsider they don't make us feel and also the audience there there's so much love pouring in from the u an audience everywhere in the
(29:11) nation so I feel like you know the barriers that we set for ourselves in terms of no we speak different languages or we are different industries those like boundaries are blurring you know and we don't need it we all live in the same country I don't think you know I'm very glad that it's all blurring and in the rightly uh way because we have very interesting stories that even if it's rooted from a place called Anandpur the nation needs to know the world needs to know and because of these platforms and because of these people willing to watch
(29:45) cinema from different languages. We're getting to create something like this. We're bringing more aware. We're making it more aware for these things, right? So, I think it's a beautiful time to be in the industries right now. >> You want my opinion on this? >> Yes, 100%. [laughter] >> I'll have like three four angles.
(30:05) >> I would love some Bollywood gossips also. that much [laughter] under so I don't have a talk >> but I think generally uh two three aspects to this one thing is when you talk about industries being closed off I think it's generally in human nature not to want an another person like be it a shop on a street doesn't want another chai shop to come or another barber shop to come or another hospital in the same area so every industry is actually very closed off you ideally everyone wants to protect whatever ever is there and then
(30:38) you have friends and then you have family and you ideally want to pass on whatever you have built to your own in a way. So not just the Hindi film industry industries across will be uh very guarded and closed and very hard for anybody from the outside to come. This is reality check for uh it continues to be.
(30:59) So the second part of this is that beyond all this cinema is business. So if you can create value for yourself somehow that you need to figure then they don't care now working with you is money so then everything goes out of the window and everything in the industry as a business trans no hard feelings >> as long as I carry value I will be surrounded by producers directors lots of love you will make some genuine relationships you treat them with love and respect the day I don't carry value they won't be there they won't walk you to your car and call you and find out
(31:32) how you're doing and come home to meet you. No hard feelings uh because it's a business in the end and they have to move on. A director has needs an actor who can bring him who can play his role and bring him value for the money a producer is putting in. He has no option. The producer will put in money when he gets a cast that can pull off that sort of budget.
(31:52) How muchever he might love me or not. Uh so in the end it's you just have to treat it as no hard feelings. You take all the love with detachment and when if nobody cares for you also it's it's part of the business that's not life that's work. So you treat it like that and you go. So as long as you add value there is value and people can make money off you uh there will always any industry will open its its uh doors to you.
(32:21) See >> he's a very like very logical very practical kind of guy. Okay that's him. But I also when you mentioned it I remember one video of him that I saw where he was asking Sguru about why hair loss happens and then he goes on like why there's no H on your head [laughter] like I feel little I feel little embarrassed by it.
(32:44) I'm like [laughter] a >> that is so unbothered. I loved it. This is so cute >> because I was really concerned then about [laughter] I think it was a stage in life where I was really concerned about >> you know generally when you say something when when you're saying out of some feeling in your heart what do you want to hear you want something like a emotional support >> he'll give logistics of it >> like you feeling it why this is happening >> logic logic >> yeah logic uh behind it okay >> I think >> I mean right now I don't need logic
(33:14) [laughter] >> so now she's figured a system she'll be like now I just want you to listen don't give me advice. So whenever she wants genuine advice she'll ask me >> she'll be like now just listen. >> So even if I have things to say or I think my your my brain is wired to try and solve things.
(33:32) I don't like to chitchat. >> I like chitchatting. >> She wants to talk and feel it and stuff for me. It's like solve and move on kind of thing. So yeah >> it's [snorts] just basically it's how men look into a connection and how women look into a connection. Totally. I read this book called men are from Mars, women are from Venus.
(33:51) Oh, my life is sorted. What's [laughter] that? >> Then whatever I do differently like you are from Mars. >> You're from Mars. >> So she's >> very sorted. Please I highly suggest and recommend that [laughter] book to anyone in a relationship. >> I want to talk about the movie but before that I there's this one scene I loved Shan Singh by the way.
(34:11) I loved the movie so much and I really loved the fact there's this one [clears throat] scene in the movie where the Dave Dasi Rossi she had the opportunity to just leave with her boyfriend with a lover but that woman you know I really noticed this because most of the stories or whatever history we talk about it comes from a man's perspective uh most of the stories are written by men most of the history is recorded by men from a man's perspective men's stories it's always men there's hardly any women are playing any role in the history. The one thing
(34:42) that I loved about Sham Singh Roy is that the Rosie is someone yeah she was a dasi she was going through and there's this guy who's coming and falling in love with her and she had the opportunity to leave the place at that night. The guy comes in and he chooses one girl to be with her that night. And uh it was not even that girl.
(35:01) It was not even Rosie. It was another a young child and this woman who could have just left the place and could have lived a really good life with her lover chose not to do that and chose to stand up for that girl. And I truly really love that you wrote that scene in the movie because she's not just someone who's waiting for a hero to come save her.
(35:20) Did you keep that intentionally or is it just something like that's like a oh let's just protect some scene or how do you see a women's role in history or or in any film making I'm asking >> so speaking of that scene particularly I felt guilty when I wrote that key because she's comfortably leaving because what about the other woman we've been establishing there so I felt like addressing their thing so that the the topic comes like so that the protagonist enters there and you know do [clears throat] some justice I mean killing that guy otherwise if she leaves
(35:49) that's not making sense because what about the other women they need some liberation something has to happen so that's the motive to write that and also to show the greatness of the character >> do you see that in the upcoming years would we get to see more of women's stories in the >> absolutely >> movies she's doing good >> absolutely now >> even MSG biopic and it's all >> sto I'm getting I thought you were like a perfect fit [laughter] the face and everything I thought you would be a perfect fit >> thank you hopefully
(36:19) has to just come in. Uh but on a general note so many filmmakers so many see uh initially there were these debutant filmmakers who wanted to first you know do a film that they've written for a woman and you know just do like cinema in a small budget maybe but now there are all kinds of filmmakers writing things for women entrusting women to lead a film and also it's no more that she's a part a small part in a big film.
(36:51) It's like we know women can deliver. We know she can poetry. We know she can shoulder this thing and we trust her. They'll they're putting the money in it and audience are walking in to watch this and they're supporting and like he was saying movies are business. Women today is able to lead a business as well which I think the massive shift is happening.
(37:19) Now you're focused on okay I want to tell the story from whose perspective whose perspective feels right a man's perspective or a woman's perspective now it's no more like of course there's always you know uh for a while at least going to be a difference seeing okay a hero and a heroine but the shift is happening and we have >> and the girlfriend was a great example by the way >> first time we got to see a women's perspective you know >> yeah yeah because even when I heard that film I was like Rahul I have no idea idea you being a man how you've written
(37:50) it and that's what I'm saying like there's so many men who see who feel who know and they're coming forth and writing something like this which like I want to be a part of these films because if a man is able to write something like this and he's able to direct something like this I'm like that's incredible like today I'm shooting for my son and I'm like there it's nothing lesser than a hero's film I'm absolutely the action he's like he's not treating me like a woman saying okay women can only do so much he's making me do things that you
(38:23) know I'm in fact having to talk to my team and they're like okay like you know you got to do it and I'm doing it because I don't want to I don't want people to come to this film thinking okay we're going and watching a woman fight no >> it's it's action anyone you give a man or a woman action they will deliver and I'm here to deliver so I'm going to deliver so even if you know I break something or do something or something happens and I go home I'm like today's shoot was really hard but I'll next day turn up and deliver that's the thing I
(38:56) feel like the filmmakers are feeling more confident with us because we are more confident within ourselves to deliver something like that you know in in women's storytelling particularly I think Telugu industry was way ahead of its time back then I think in the '9s '50s or something uh I'm not sure if if it's I read about it long back uh Banumati if I'm not wrong she made a movie she was the writer director producer and she played double action role and uh she fought with the tiger in the movie I mean it's not original tiger
(39:30) >> for even Vijay Shanti [clears throat] m she was a superstar >> like people still talks about Vijay Shanti to me by the way >> yeah she's uh she's hardcore like also >> yeah yeah I love her she's [laughter] awesome and Telugu cinema was always way ahead of its time when it comes to storytelling, women's storytelling.
(39:50) You know I in my period when I was a child I watched Agent Tati and I'm like that's still one of my favorite film like how I want to carry myself. I got it most of the part from the Jakama like I want to be like that woman. When I saw the movie that's what I thought even though it was a horror film.
(40:08) Do you kind of feel like the recent Telago cinema is somewhere going downhill in terms of portraying a woman? >> No. Right now I feel Telugu cinema is uh battling or being very ambitious about pushing its boundaries. Now we have discovered new markets to conquer and also we discovered our own potential what we can deliver. >> So in that process some sensitivities might not might be overlooked but uh there is always that sensibility about uh you know uh writing women characters and giving space for them.
(40:37) It's been there because be it in the older generations we have that influences and all and again it's all about capitalistic mindset also. So it's all about business what we are investing and all and when we are over ambitious no sensibilities take back step. So that's what may be happening but I think we'll settle and bring back that legacy soon is what I believe.
(40:56) >> I actually did a video about Telugu industry and its recent controversies with the how they portray women and all >> 4% of the women are working in the film sets like most of the storytelling are coming from a man's perspective. >> The people who are in the deciding positions the director producer all of them are men.
(41:16) The people who are coming into the theater to watch a movie are men largely men from the age 20 to 40. >> So somehow the as you said it's it's also a money-m thing. You know movies have to make money. Do you think like it's to just to appeal the audience women are being objectified in the movies? I feel like I can't like when you say 1950s Telugu cinema was doing superb things with women or if today women are being objectified I don't think you can give credit or discredit to an industry >> I don't think it's an industry thing it's an individual's thing like if vijay
(41:51) shanti >> don't you think I don't think any other industry has this many people let it be bananati uh sitri ma'am >> so I think I need to give credit to banumati sitriu and vijay shanti for ma'am for pushing those limits, creating those markets. Some of them produced their own films. So I think it's a and some definitely there would have been a system support.
(42:15) There would be other people in the system that supported them. When you when we talk about an industry, we're talking about a really wide demographic. You're talking about people coming from all sorts of different regions, >> different societal experiences, different upbringing, different kind of exposure, different kind of stories they are telling.
(42:35) So there's going to be a variety of takes >> on what kind of story they write, how they write their woman characters, who's writing a woman character, who's not. So I think it's left to individuals and that'll keep that variation will always be there where you'll have some films that people find problematic where you have films that you celebrate.
(42:55) Uh that uh that plus minus will always be there. It'll never become >> one kind of thing because the kind of people we have are all very different. No in like a in a billion population you have all kinds of different people. One of them becomes a writer director. He's going to tell it from that kind of lensing and perspective.
(43:16) He will write from his childhood, his exposure, the books he read, >> the kind of world he lives and his view of the world. >> He tells it like that. Rahul Praindran tells it like that. Sepanga tells it in his way. So I think everyone it's like individuals and when the film works they continue to be able to explore in that.
(43:38) So I don't think we can group a Tamil industry or Telugu industry or Hindi industry like that makes sense. >> Yeah. Also we talk when we talk about these films we talk only about popular films >> because Telugu industry is the one of the highest number of you know film making uh industry. So we hardly see the 10% of the films but if you see there is so much of small films which is great job with women writing and so many women writers directors who are very active right now in Terugu and I can see a lot of change in 10 years in these last 10
(44:07) years I can see so much of >> exactly I was just going to say in the last 10 years initially I felt like there were a lot of men working in the teams but now I'm seeing one wave of women working in all these positions as well. So mostly work in direction costume there is that segmentation is there because the hard labor will be always done by the men like the light department dolly.
(44:31) >> No that's that's also one more thing like I was shooting for a brand and uh I saw a woman handler camera >> I was like dude I I just got goosebumps on that. I was like let's go and a lot of uh women dops are coming are coming and we have technicians also on our set we have >> yeah editors first they'll come into those departments and then we need to >> mad cool historical fact >> India's first editor >> was a woman >> yeah was a woman by the way so let's get into the movie >> yes [laughter] >> yes previous biggest topic
(45:06) >> and uh for the director sir I'm so so so grateful ful that you chose to talk about it because this is always a comparison in my mind. I'm a history graduate and uh I don't even remember reading about this mine in my college days probably would have been the one or two pages. So when I got to know about all the things there's always a comparison in my mind that um you know the Germany Hitler Nazi thing >> there if not thousands there are hundreds of movies made on it.
(45:38) People keep talking about it again and again till this day they always hold Hitler accountable that massacre that happened they always hold him accountable the west keeps talking about it there's so much noise that even a child sitting in Tamil Nadu would know about who Hitler is and what he did to the Jews but 6 million people were killed by Hitler >> in India 10 million people died in this famine the Madras famine that we're talking about which is 1 k people back then the India's population would have been around what 30 30
(46:10) >> 35 30 >> something imagine out of 30 K people 1 k people died in a span of 2 years this is the scale we are talking about and there's absolutely nothing in the cinema about this particular topic so when I first got to know this is what the movie is about I'm like so grateful I'm so freaking grateful finally finally someone is talking about it just boils me blood so much people did this big of a massacre and just got away with it like like it's nothing.
(46:40) And we also taught to be grateful to the British for building the railways. >> But the same jails also cost the fine. >> I'm [clears throat] so so so glad you chose to talk about it and I'm so glad. But I want to know why out of all the stories, this is like a very uh long story for you to cover. It's not some one incident that can be done like Bahubali or something.
(47:05) This is something uh going to be very tragic story. Why do you choose to cover this about this one? Did you come across this when I was when you were a child or just happened to read and went on to search about it? >> No, actually when I was looking for my next story, I was working on multiple points and my brother helped me in writing and uh >> these things.
(47:25) [clears throat] So when I've decided I want to tell one culturally rooted story like a rural subject and royal cinema backdrop and all we were looking for we started digging into the history of royal cinema because I wanted to let's go back in time and see what's there out there. So I I remember that one particular night I was in Goa for this uh film festival.
(47:46) I was alone and having my dinner and my brother called me and sent me the one link and he said read that's about the Madras family and because Royal Sim was part of the Madras and I was having my dinner and I read it and the amount of stats it stated. It's Wikipedia. It's not about like somebody from you know extreme right wrote it.
(48:02) So it's like it's like 85 million I mean 85 lakh people died. It was the wiki quotes. I was like is it possible like within 2 years 76 to 78 and later I read about rest of the famines 18 such major famines happened in 250 years and I was like all put together like closely like 20 year or something like what is this nobody no film happened and no major discussion is happening no politician talking about it and it shook me I got scared like can we tell this story like what could be the canvas like what can we tell you know to to portray this kind
(48:35) of a topic to the And I also felt like uh because as you mentioned Nazis about the Nazis like Jews they never forget and they made so many films and beautifully told their problems and pain the whole thing we Indians we had these kind of so many atrocities happened over thousand years of invasions or whatever and we have the we are chill like I don't know like we we we didn't make big fuss about it all the films made on British were mostly about the independence like you know that 30 years of period of the entire
(49:06) INC from there to independence but what happened before was like grave genocides happened so I was like I'm going to you know let's tell this story to the world and that's where it started and Vijay joined and >> and don't you also think because there were not many films about this because history as a subject was was mainly focused on the mainland India it highly ignored the south India and uh even the Bengal for the fact >> the other parts of the India was not considered that big of a deal when it comes to industry. Uh have you guys know
(49:37) about this Nagasima Readyala Nagasim? >> My mind was blown when I first got to know about this guy. Imagine this guy 1850 >> similar period. All of them to 30 years. >> Yes. >> And all these guys 3035 they were all >> they're gone >> like >> 10 years before the first war of independence that we studying in school as the first war of independence against the British sitting in Ray Sema.
(50:03) This guy literally made a rebellion. Thousands of people joined this guy. British was so pissed off with this guy. They literally had to kill him. And then they just put his head on a fort and let it be there for 30 years so the people could see and do not have the courage to rebel against them again. >> Such a courageous person.
(50:25) But I never read about him in my college. I didn't even study history in school. I did a major in >> Yeah. And you didn't have >> I had no idea. So don't you think a large part of uh I personally believe the other parts of history in India in it comes to South India, Northeast, everything was majorly ignored in our school as well.
(50:45) So that's why I don't blame it. There are not many movies because you don't even get to study about it. Then how can you complain about not having movies about Ha. >> Exactly. It's important to I think from a from a young age let kids know the history of India because I am one of I consider myself well read. I consider myself to have enough exposure.
(51:05) I didn't know of Sir Richard Temple. I know of Hitler. I know of the Holocaust. I know what they did. I know more of an incident that happened in Europe and what happened was tragic. I'm not even trying to say trying to compare, but I'm saying if 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, I know the visuals. I feel bad.
(51:29) I feel sympathetic to what they went through even then, but I don't even know what happened to our I had no idea of the Madras famine. When he showed me the pictures of Madras famine and Bengal famine, I was shocked by how the streets were filled. They here they would call it dkalakaru >> because people's ribs were all out and their and when I started reading more and understood that these period of famines which was a Bengal famine, Madras famine again Bengal famine in 1940s changed our genetics.
(51:59) >> Exactly. >> Uh I was like how can I not know this? And this Rahul was mentioning this to me. It was like the Jews ensured that people knew what happened to them, know what happened to them by repeatedly telling that story, telling different parts of the story. Our history has so much that is not we don't know about.
(52:18) [snorts] And sometimes I see people talking about it's okay Britisher 200 years they ruled us for that. Now you guys make films repeatedly on this subject. I'm like when you know of the things that 150 years ago is nothing. It's like my great-grandfather's time. It's just like two generations before when I used to be on set, we were shooting these things of the labor being made to build tracks.
(52:45) That was complete slavery what they did. Until today there are huge amounts of people who are in like Tamilians in Sri Lanka, Indians in Barbados, West Indies across because as soon as slavery got abolished, they took people from here as labor there for basic uh wages to show that we are not slaves. And now we have Indian population across like a vast part of the world because they were all enslaved in a way.
(53:14) And when you know of all this history and this Bengal famine like 6 7 million people uh died this Madras famine the numbers are all between 6 to 10 million different sources and like even when you read about the massacre that happened after the Mangal Pande the revolt the rising uh in Delhi when the description of written documents from there of horses just slipping on the roads because people's guts and blood were everywhere.
(53:46) Apparently the sight of it was a different world like 1850s uh and all the law of the world was you win a battle you have 3 days to plunder rape uh that was the reward for people fighting uh that was understood that 3 days nobody said anything you take what you want uh you rape you kill uh and you do whatever those that was the kind of world uh these people lived in.
(54:13) So when you hear of multiple such accounts and details of what was written then it's like I'm like how how is this okay and it's important for us to remind ourselves and the world about what the country went through because I feel like a bunch of traders coming and taking over India because all of us were fighting internal battles.
(54:36) Nobody thought thought thought of some outsider is coming and taking over our resources and our country. Some money lender in Kolkata wanted to settle a dispute. He was apparently then the richest guy in the world. He funded the British to find a fight a battle on be on his behalf against somebody who hadn't repaid him or talked to him badly.
(54:57) They settled in Kolkata making it their base and then everybody so many like there's one very interesting character in the film one very interesting layer which talks about how many Indians in a way for their personal needs >> own benefits were a cause for a lot of these things to happen >> otherwise like 100 traders can't come and do this unless you have so many and I feel even today we keep we are divided on multiple lines We always like you're dark, I am white.
(55:30) You're speaking Tamil, I'm speaking Hindi. We just find constantly ways to differentiate this cast. This cast discussion is like I don't know what purpose it's serving. How can a country is it is it increasing our GDP? Is it increasing the level of living quality of life of people? Are we becoming a stronger nation? If it's not serving any of this purpose, these are all at some point you have to let go of some things.
(55:58) They were there at some point for some purpose, you need to let go when they're not uh serving. So, so sometimes it disturbs me that maybe not much has changed. But we cannot let our internal little battles that are happening across on base of cast, region, religion. I know that China is going all out. You know, your neighbors are going all out.
(56:20) [clears throat] It's not long before they're going to try and step in and build on these internal strifees that are there. It's very easy to put in some money and create more chaos. And we feel by knowing this history from a very young age, you have to that creates some sort of exposure amongst people and you have to start seeing it with a vision that we don't let this happen again in a way.
(56:41) >> And it's crazy how um our bodies remember it. Uh we might not remember it. We might not know of it but example today if you're thinking oh I haven't eaten anything but why am I putting on weight your body remembers from it's in your DNA that your ancestors had to go through something like this. So it is >> it has learned to hold on >> it has learned to hold on to the weight and hold on to the energy that it is thinking what if this happens again we need to protect ourselves and hence our bodies are like sad that this it's crazy
(57:19) and you're thinking oh I've do I'm doing everything in my power I'm in my diet and I'm working out and that and my body is not responding but it's in your gene it's in your genetics so that's what like your body will remember it even if you don't remember it. It's insane. >> What's one pain point in the movie that when you were actually shooting it, it broke you so bad? >> I now when we eat at home, so me and her are on a diet, which means we eat pretty much the same thing.
(57:48) It's eggs, chicken, vegetables, 365 days, unless I'm on a holiday. Some you get tired of eating the same and it's healthy. And then I'm like, ah, it's work. I don't want to eat. And then I'm like people were starving for just some plain rice. They were mixing uh salt with black sand and sand and eating in those times. Apparently there is incidence of salt and sand or spice and they were eating >> sand and curd.
(58:16) >> Sand and curd. There's a festival they celebrate till today in some regions where uh uh in that festival they mix little sand and curd and take a bite. People have forgotten why we do this. We do a lot of rituals without knowing what. But it started to remind people that this was how things were.
(58:35) Now when food is there, I'm getting three meals a day, 2,000 calories a day. Keep telling her I keep telling her cannot waste this, man. People didn't have food once and uh you just if you miss one day of food, you know how that hunger feels. >> Yeah. Like one meal you don't have and you're like you're going all crazy.
(58:54) >> Yeah. start getting angry and this but to feel starvation and die of starvation >> that is some pain that many of us know or even can think about. >> Yeah. So I think when we were on these sets and they would he had all these very skinny looking we still can't get that level of skinny looking people today but uh when we had all these people I was like I was like this was all reality for us it's a film shoot but it all this genuinely happened at one point which is really disturbing. Yeah.
(59:25) So I respect my food a lot more and I >> Yeah. Like you know sometimes when you're really stuffed and you're like you know uh let me just keep this aside. No either don't put it in my plate or it's going all inside and I'm grateful for this. [laughter] So in theta and people come out of the after watching what is one message you guys want them to carry with them? What is one thing that you would expect them to feel after watching the movie? taken.
(59:55) I just want personally I feel they should remember this a history what really happened and be conscious about it's not to complain like you have done this to me. There's nothing we'll get out of it. It's not but it's the responsibility and duty of any generation to teach the next generation what happened before because history teaches you to be aware so that it won't repeat and you won't get the false uh narrative so that you know it's it's your uh legacy.
(1:00:20) You should learn as it is. So before you learn Akbar is great, Akbar the great, you just learn what actually happened is what I feel should happen from through this film. >> You know, there's a there's a saying in history that we say a lot. If the lion doesn't tell its story, the hunter will say >> exactly >> his version of the story.
(1:00:43) >> I think that's what happened to India for a very long time. And I'm so grateful we lion finally are coming out and saying the story. I'm so grateful for the team sir. Thank you so much for doing this. >> And definitely when I saw them together, the first poster right after their marriage, oh my god, you guys were gorgeous together.
(1:01:02) I was like, you know, I always imagine myself how I would look married as a woman. I always imagine like that. [laughter] >> You guys are looking amazing together and so grateful you guys chose to do this film. And do you want to say any final message to people? Ranabali as a film was a revelation to me and uh if not for Rahul's research and stuff maybe I wouldn't have opened my mind to this chapter in history.
(1:01:30) So I'm very grateful that uh I got an opportunity uh and this film came my way to play it. We are hoping to we've made a really good film uh that will show you insights to our story. This is our my history. This is your history. use our parents' history and also a beautiful entertaining exciting film because we survived these chapters of history only because of our culture and our beliefs and our society and system.
(1:01:59) So it's a beautiful mix between those two and 100% you'll be transported to another world. Uh a very you'll feel like you're in 1800s India. So that's something that Rahul's achieved and uh I hope you all uh experience this film and uh come out feeling uh impacted by it. I'd like to say that >> October 16th [laughter] >> it's going to be a beautiful heartfelt very heart-wrenching also uh a cinematic experience for everyone who's going to watch the film and also we are bringing forth something that happened in the history so that it doesn't happen in the
(1:02:39) future. So the more we are aware of why what happened and what actually happened um I think it'll sort of keep us aware like how Rahul was saying to our future because we don't want it to go like a loop it has to go forward we need to move forward as a country as you know as human beings we need to move forward so uh this is a little eyeopener to what happened in our history all of our history um and we hope that it sort of brings a sense of responsibility but also gives you the cinematic experience um of watching this whole craft come
(1:03:21) together. >> I'm excited for the film. >> Yeah, I hope as [laughter] a historian you love it. >> Oh, I as a cinema lover, not just I think it's a cinematic experience. >> Cinematic experience. Yeah. >> So, >> I I look forward I think this should be our first film review. Do you do film reviews? >> I don't usually. I think I'll do it.
(1:03:39) I think now [laughter] you look forward. >> Thanks for doing this with me. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. [applause]
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