Actor-Director Pakhi Tyrewala has been making headlines with her debut directorial project Kajal that was selected for the New York Indian Film Festival.
Kajal is a 20-minute short film that talks about a woman who constantly faces oppression until one day she finds a package that rewards her with the inner strength to fight the world.
Pakhi was recently in Jaipur for her friend’s wedding. We caught up with the director who has been penning some amazing scripts like Pahuna and Kajal.
You were a child artist. How different was your childhood from your peers?
As a kid, I never did Bollywood films. I was always doing TV. And the serials in my time were not like modern-age daily soaps. Apart from that, I did several telefilms for Doordarshan, but all these were shot once in a while.
So a lot of my time I spent in school, with friends and family like any non-actor kid would. It was very different from how children shoot these days. Today, they go to school, come back and shoot.
Also, I come from a very strong family, and that is why I never had too many friends. My mom, in fact, was my best friend. I looked up to my brother and my father.
What made you change your name?
I haven’t changed my name. Pakhi has always been my pet name, and Punarnava is my passport name, which by the way is still the same. It was that when I started working as a writer, I picked the name Pakhi.
Is there a story for Pakhi?
Not really. When I used to go to a meeting and the director used to call me Punarnava, it was difficult. So yeah, to avoid that long name calling, I started introducing myself as Pakhi since then.
What is that dearest draft of yours that didn’t see the light of the day, but had not been discarded too?
Channo. It’s a very sweet film about a small town girl who comes to a big city, completely loses her identity and then finds it again.
If today, I get a chance to make that movie, I will do it right away. It will be a dream come true for me. Channo still stays as a draft because we couldn’t find a male actor for our film.
It is that close to my heart that I will never discard it for anything in my life.
And Pahuna?
Well, Pahuna’s script I wrote 11 years back. Since I spent a lot of time in the northeast, I wanted to describe their lives in my words. I always felt a disconnect between Northeast India and other states. That’s how Pahuna was written.
How much of your personal life do you reflect through your films?
You know, unlike most people who draw inspiration from their lives, I draw from others’ – my friends, family, students, and everybody I spend time with. So a lot of people put themselves in their character, I make characters a part of me. This way, I can’t say that Kajal is my story because I have been brought up in the most liberal manner. Even when I was married to Abbas Tyrewala, nothing changed. He is probably cooler than my father and brother. If I do the dishes, he will do the clothes. So this is the kind of freedom I have experienced in my life.
But whosoever I meet becomes my story.
After Lipstick Under My Burkha had faced enough difficulties, why do you think women-oriented films either get slandered by the Censor Board or lack funds?
I think there are two issues here. One is that our Censor Board is a little too strong. The Board needs to understand that their job is to issue a certificate and not stop films from releasing. Let people decide, and don’t think that your public is so stupid that they will go watch anything that is available even if they don’t want to. If they don’t want to hear the word ‘intercourse,’ they will not go and watch it.
The next is that we are a patriarchal society and that is why women-oriented films don’t get funded very easily. This is heartbreaking but true!
I believe that we are not taken seriously.
Talking about Kajal, what have you changed from the first draft to the final script of the film?
So, initially Kajal was Abbas’ idea, and it was the story of a man. I remember the tagline was, ‘When you show a gun, it has to be fired.’ It was a very aggressive and violent film. My draft is the anti-thesis of this. Unlike before, Kajal says that violence is not the solution for anything. Instead, one just needs that internal strength to fight everything.
How do you picture women of the modern age?
The moment we start talking about women-oriented films, we talk about issues. There are so many entertaining stories about women. By picking on issues, we disregard 50 percent of the stories.
I want to tell interesting stories that are not dealing with issues. I want to make films with women protagonists, and they don’t have to deal necessarily with women issues.
You have been an Art of Living trainer for several years. How do you start your mornings to keep happy and at peace?
I have been a trainer at Art of Living for over a decade now. But talking about my mornings, they have dramatically changed for the last six months since I got these two kittens at home. The moment my eyes open, they are on my face.
They have been away from me for the entire night, and in the morning they can’t wait to get my attention and love. So no peace! My mornings begin with yoga and meditation, and it’s equally satisfying.
But yes, chanting I do before I sleep and I do Sudarshan Kriya, which is a must-do for everybody.
There’s always a hustle and heat of life when you are a part of the film industry. How do you deal with it?
I don’t. I cry, I have breakdowns, I fight for my films, I face rejections and get appreciated when I don’t get a perfect shot. I scream my head off. But I find my peace in believing that I am passionate about something and that’s what I want.
Two directors in the house, how does it look?
We have the extreme support of each other. I’ve learned the craft from my husband. I always seek his approval. If he doesn’t like a scene, I rewrite it. I have done eight drafts for him for Jhootha Hi Sahi. He is my teacher, and he gives me the equal respect. He asks me to sit with him and brainstorm ideas. It is beautiful to have him around. My journey has been easy.
What his career advice do you abide by?
Writing is rewriting. Period.
What are your tips to nurture marriage when both the partners are in the same profession?
Share a lot. Be part of each other’s failure and success like it’s yours. There is never a competition.