I'm not drawn to formulaic films: Director Leena Yadav
What's the story
Filmmaker Leena Yadav, known for Parched, says she is drawn to complex and flawed characters and doesn't see herself exploring formulaic movies as everything is just perfect in it. "I am not drawn to formulaic films because there is no space for flawed characters to exist in that setup," said the director. Yadav was talking in context of her upcoming Netflix comedy-drama, Rajma Chawal.
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Detailing and back story of characters fascinate me: Leena
Yadav said, "Sometimes in my scripts, characters have been one dimensional and I have changed them on set... I can't see a black and white character because I haven't met any." The filmmaker explains it's the detailing and back stories of characters that fascinate her.
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'It bores me if I see a hero who's perfect'
"If I see a villain, I want to see his vulnerabilities. Why did he become what he is? I truly believe we start off as good people and then circumstances shape us. It bores me if I see a hero who is perfect," Yadav noted.
Forte
'Rajma Chawal' has been produced by her husband Aseem Bajaj
Yadav, who made her debut in 2005 with Shabd, starring Aishwarya Rai, Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan, appreciates people who can pull off a successful commercial entertainer but cannot see herself venturing there. The director says she's intrigued with the grey side, which exists in people and wanted to explore that even in Rajma Chawal, which has been produced by her husband Aseem Bajaj.
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'Rajma Chawal' is a story about father-son's complex relationship
"Everybody is complex. In Parched, the men were equally victims of the conditioning. Similarly, with the father-son relationship in Rajma Chawal. They both can be flawed but let's have a conversation around it," said Leena. Featuring Rishi Kapoor, Anirudh Tanwar and Amyra Dastur, Rajma Chawal chronicles the story of a father who attempts to reconnect with his estranged son through social media.
Box office
'Parched' was a very commercial film too, says Leena
While streaming on Netflix removes the box office figures' pressure, Leena says the number game can get "tricky." "It's not that I don't bother about box office. Parched was a very commercial film too," she said. When asked if producers ever told her to make a massy film, Leena said, "I was always told. So I've finally made my dramedy with Rajma Chawal."