Is Narayana-Sudha Murthy biopic happening? Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari drops update
What's the story
Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, who last directed Faadu (2022), is currently scripting a biopic on Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and his wife, educator and author Sudha Murty. The project was announced in 2021, but Iyer Tiwari has said it will take time before she starts shooting. "I do hope it happens, because we have been writing, and it is a complicated story to tell," she told Mid-Day.
Ongoing discussions
I'm in touch with the family: Iyer Tiwari
Iyer Tiwari revealed that she is in constant touch with the Murthy family and discusses the script with their son Rohan Murty. "I'm still writing... I'm in touch with the family; I discuss the script with their son [Rohan Murty]. But it will take its own sweet time," she said. The biopic will explore the lives of the celebrity couple.
Project status
Devika Rani-Himanshu Rai biopic on hold
Apart from the Murthy biopic, Iyer Tiwari was also set to bring the love story of Indian cinema's first female star Devika Rani and her filmmaker-husband Himanshu Rai to the screen. However, she revealed that this project is currently on hold due to a change in studio. "That is on hold right now. The studio has changed. That is the past," she said.
Industry critique
Why she stepped back from filmmaking
Iyer Tiwari, known for her films Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) and Panga (2020), expressed her displeasure over the industry's obsession with box-office numbers. She took a step back from filmmaking during this phase. "Did anyone ask me how much Nil Battey Sannata [2015] made at the box office? We never discussed that," she said, adding that earning ₹100 crore became the benchmark of a good director in Hindi cinema.
Franchise pressure
'Bareilly Ki Barfi's sequel talk
Iyer Tiwari also revealed that she has been offered several times to make a sequel to Bareilly Ki Barfi but has refused. "I have been told so many times to make Bareilly Ki Barfi's sequel. But then, you're making a film just so that you can tick some [boxes]. It's difficult to convince me to do that," she said. She is currently shooting for a web film.