Latest news with #RenukaShahane
The Print
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Print
The unending Indian housewife grind—Renuka Shahane's Marathi film Loop Line shows the trap
'Housewives provide for their families, day in and day out, without any reprieve and without receiving any gratitude. It is almost an automated life, and that's why I wanted to use the local train as a parallel to a housewife's routine,' said Shahane. The family lives by the train tracks, and Shahane uses the monotonous regularity of the Mumbai local to highlight the mundane existence of the unnamed stay-at-home wife. Her labour is taken for granted, dismissed as duty. Loop Line is an acknowledgement of the emotional abuse that unfolds in a marriage. It's slated to be screened at the New York Indian Film Festival on 21 June. New Delhi: A middle-aged married woman offers tea to her husband in the morning. But his only reaction is an irritated grunt as a train rumbles by. This scene sets the tone for actor-director Renuka Shahane's animated Marathi short film Loop Line . That is also the reason the Marathi title of the 8-minute film is Dhawpatti, which refers to a parallel track or runway. Abuse need not be physical, and that is the movie's message. Shahane has never shied away from uncomfortable topics. Her directorial debut, Rita (2009), looks at the physical manifestation of the emotional labour women are expected to do in relationships. Her 2021 movie Tribhanga explores intergenerational trauma. Loop Line, too, holds a mirror to Indian society. The director's choice to use animation was deliberate. 'Since animation does not have real people, there is a certain distance so that one can be objective, and at the same time, be involved,' said Shahane, whose favourite animated films include Kung Fu Panda series, Ramayana: the Legend of Prince Ram (1993) and Bao (2018). When writing the script, Shahane initially planned to use animation only in the scenes where the wife escapes into her fantasy world. But as the idea progressed, animating the entire film was the natural course of action. 'We rarely use animation to explore mature themes. We either use it for children's films or mythological themes. So, I thought why not try it, because we tend to have less bias when it comes to animated films,' said Shahane. Also read: 'You've put on a bit of weight though'—how this film on mother-daughter bond begins Dreamland of pakoda brain In Loop Line, the woman goes through her daily, ceaseless routine of cooking, cleaning, and cooking again. In between, there are fleeting moments where she gets lost in a fantastical world. The smoke from her husband's cigarette morphs into a dancing girl. She imagines floating in a pond full of lotus flowers while reading a magazine. For her, fantasy is a quiet rebellion against the monotony imposed on her life. 'In the film, the protagonist has been reduced to being an observer of her own life, without any agency. So, she expresses herself through her dreams. In her fantasies, no one can come in and judge or abuse her,' said Shahane. This dream world she escapes to only underscores the reality of her life. In one scene, her husband brings home three colleagues for drinks, without informing her. The men indulge in sexist chatter, gossiping about a man at work, who, they suggest, may have gotten a promotion in exchange for sexual favours from his wife. 'Even our boss turned out to be lecherous,' says one of the men, and just at that moment, the wife's pallu drops. While she hurriedly adjusts it, the husband looks at her with visible rage. Just as her husband starts berating her in front of his coworkers by calling her a 'buffalo', the woman escapes into another world where she's seen cutting up a human brain. Her fantasy world is not one of rainbows and unicorns. She imagines the pakodas as parts of her brain that she is frying for the raucous men seated outside. 'I wanted to show how she is not required to use her brains, because all that is expected of her is her body and food. I wrote the scene with the character's anger directed at self, that even if she stands wounded, all the men would want is the food made by her, and not care about her,' said Shahane. Film festivals and funding The movie features actors Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar and Anand Alkunte, who play the husband and wife, respectively. The two actors performed as the main characters in the previsualisation stage. The animation team then developed the film based on the scenes acted out by them. Animation was a new medium for Shahahe, and she took her time learning and unlearning the process, figuring out the colour palette, and lighting in both the pre-animated and animated segments. Loop Line has been screened at international festivals like MONSTRA Lisbon Animated Film Festival and the Thessaloniki Animation Festival. The film also has won awards for its storytelling, animation, and themes at both the Tasveer Film Festival and the Mumbai Short Film Festival. But when Shahane started out, she could not find a producer to back her film. Soumitra Ranade, founder of Paper Boat Studios, whose company handled the animation of Loop Line, even warned Shahane that she would never be able to recover the money. Eventually, the director decided to produce it herself, and the final budget turned out to be Rs 20 lakh. 'The most surprising yet fulfilling reactions came from men, who shared how they could relate to the film, and what they had seen in their own homes, especially with their mothers,' said Shahane. The director is now writing the scripts for her next two films, one is a dark comedy, and the other is a drama on racism. Shahane is waiting for the run of film festival screenings to end before trying to release Loop Line on any platform. 'If I don't find any other platform, then I will release it on YouTube for free. The main purpose was never festivals, it was always about people getting to watch my films,' she said. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
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First Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Salman Khan's Hum Aapke Hain Koun costar Renuka Shahane reacts to 8-hour shift debate amid Deepika Padukone controversy: 'I know of a lot of working mothers who are...'
'It's a creative field where you need a collaboration, and cooperation of all the members of the team,' says Renuka Shahane read more After celebs like Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Madhoo, Mani Ratnam, and Kritika Kamra, among others, veteran actress Renuka Shahane has reacted to the ongoing debate of an 8-hour shift after Deepika Padukone's controversial exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit featuring Prabhas. 'I don't want to make a general statement on it because I feel that there are even some male actors who would like to minimize hours, not just female actors. A lot of them have come out and said that they want to spend time with their families. In this context, it's a difficult thing to say, because it is a matter of individual choice,' said Renuka while talking to Hindustan Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I know of a lot of working mothers who are going to work in daily soaps for 18-hour shifts, and they manage their child by taking them to the set, and kind of raising them practically on the set. It is a choice that they have made and who am I to say anything about that? If the producer accepts that, it's their prerogative. There should not be a compulsion as there might be mothers who want or need to work for 18 hours. It's a very individual thing,' said Renuka, who is a mother of two kids. 'It's a creative field where you need a collaboration, and cooperation of all the members of the team. So, unless you are all on the same page, there's no point in going ahead. Whenever you decide to sign on the dotted line, that has to be something mutual. And that sense of respect has to be there because if there is no respect, you're not going to be able to work with each other at all,' the Dupahiya star shared.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Renuka Shahane raises concerns over audience shift towards OTT content: 'Very scary situation for...'
Veteran actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has voiced her concerns about the shifting dynamics of the Indian film industry, particularly the growing preference for OTT platforms over theatrical experiences. Reflecting on the current state of cinema, she highlighted how changing audience habits are affecting the fate of content-driven films, leaving many filmmakers and producers in a tough spot. Speaking to IANS, Shahane acknowledged that the landscape has changed drastically for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and theatre owners alike. Highlighting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' actress noted how the compulsory halt in film production and the closure of cinema halls pushed audiences toward OTT platforms. Drawing comparisons with the pre-pandemic era, Renuka Shahane pointed out that before Covid, audiences were more willing to support a wide range of narratives — not just large-scale entertainers. 'Actually, it's a very scary situation for filmmakers and producers especially, even for distributors, theatre owners. The situation in Covid, of course, it was a compulsion. All of us had to just stop work. So, for two years, we were watching content only on OTT platforms. That's how they became so popular all over our country. But, you know, before that, I feel where our industry was concerned, Hindi film industry, I'll talk about, I'm not very well versed with any other industry, but whether it was Marathi or whether it was a Hindi film industry, a lot of narratives, which were not necessarily mass entertainers, were doing very well before the advent of Covid,' the actress explained. However, Renuka expressed concern that the audience's mindset has changed post-Covid. With many viewers now preferring to wait for films to release on streaming platforms, theatre footfall has taken a hit — especially for mid-budget or content-driven films. 'Only larger-than-life subjects are now kind of seen by people in theatres,' she said, adding that even OTT platforms are hesitant to pick up films unless they have had a theatrical release. Renuka Shahane expressed, 'A lot of families who used to regularly buy tickets and go to theatres are now waiting for films to come on OTT. Therefore, only larger-than-life subjects are being watched in theatres. For the rest, it's a very dicey situation because OTT platforms are not picking up films unless they are released theatrically.'
Hans India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Renuka Shahane raises concerns over audience shift towards OTT content
Mumbai: Veteran actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has voiced her concerns about the shifting dynamics of the Indian film industry, particularly the growing preference for OTT platforms over theatrical experiences. Reflecting on the current state of cinema, she highlighted how changing audience habits are affecting the fate of content-driven films, leaving many filmmakers and producers in a tough spot. Speaking to IANS, Shahane acknowledged that the landscape has changed drastically for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and theatre owners alike. Highlighting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' actress noted how the compulsory halt in film production and the closure of cinema halls pushed audiences toward OTT platforms. Drawing comparisons with the pre-pandemic era, Renuka Shahane pointed out that before Covid, audiences were more willing to support a wide range of narratives — not just large-scale entertainers. 'Actually, it's a very scary situation for filmmakers and producers especially, even for distributors, theatre owners. The situation in Covid, of course, it was a compulsion. All of us had to just stop work. So, for two years, we were watching content only on OTT platforms. That's how they became so popular all over our country. But, you know, before that, I feel where our industry was concerned, Hindi film industry, I'll talk about, I'm not very well versed with any other industry, but whether it was Marathi or whether it was a Hindi film industry, a lot of narratives, which were not necessarily mass entertainers, were doing very well before the advent of Covid,' the actress explained. However, Renuka expressed concern that the audience's mindset has changed post-Covid. With many viewers now preferring to wait for films to release on streaming platforms, theatre footfall has taken a hit — especially for mid-budget or content-driven films. 'Only larger-than-life subjects are now kind of seen by people in theatres,' she said, adding that even OTT platforms are hesitant to pick up films unless they have had a theatrical release. Renuka Shahane expressed, 'A lot of families who used to regularly buy tickets and go to theatres are now waiting for films to come on OTT. Therefore, only larger-than-life subjects are being watched in theatres. For the rest, it's a very dicey situation because OTT platforms are not picking up films unless they are released theatrically.'
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First Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Actress-filmmaker Renuka Shahane: 'There are so many situations where casual misogyny and toxic behaviour is normalized'
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the actress spoke about the idea of her animated short film 'Loop Line,' her excitement as the film gears up for its screening at New York Film Festival, and cinema celebrating misogyny on celluloid in the name of heroism. read more Actor and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has made her third directorial feature that is titled Loop Line. It's a short animated film in Marathi that will be screened at the New York Indian Film Festival on June 21. It's a disturbing subject on the monotony of a married woman, the same discomforting subject that was tackled in films like The Great Indian Kitchen and its remake Mrs. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the actress spoke about the idea of the story, her excitement as the film gears up for its screening, and cinema celebrating misogyny on celluloid in the name of heroism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Edited excerpts from the interview What is the excitement like because the film has made it to the New York Film Festival? I am extremely excited not only because it's something that I have done for the time. Being from live action and coming to animation, making an animation short has been a very, very exciting learning experience for me. And then for it to be selected in film festivals that matter so much, for me as well as my team, I think it's, an incredible honour. What is the meaning of the title? Loop line, if you can explain it. Well, the film talks about, sort of, the relentlessness of domestic duties that a housewife has to do. She's almost on auto mode, you know. And her life, I have compared, parallelly with the Mumbai local train that runs on a track right next to her house. And it's about the same thing that you know, she's constantly being overloaded by people and responsibilities. And, there is no scope for delay. She has to run day in and day out, and yet she's not really regarded, with great admiration. So it's basically a thankless job, and that's why it's called Loop Line because it keeps happening again and again. And that's the central theme that it is, you know, a day in her life which is representative of, many, many, many days in her life or in the life of many millions of housewives who are in the same situation. India has not properly utilized the animation format. So was this the reason you and your entire team chose the animated format for this? I, as a writer, imagined the story that I was writing in animation. A, because it has a lot of imagination in it, and the housewife deals with the drudgery of her life and her loveless marriage by, you know, imagining things that she finds beautiful that takes her away from that drudgery and also as an expression of her emotions. So when I was writing it itself, I felt that it takes to animation rather than live action. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And, there is a certain quality in the script which I wanted, which was of being involved with the characters and not completely, like, you know. So animation gives that scope for the audience to be involved, but at the same time, be dissociated because you're not looking at your flesh and blood people. You know? So I think it was the demand of the script that I chose animation and, of course, because I love animation. And it's something that I have loved watching, you know, through my childhood, and I feel that it is such a compelling format to tell stories. So that was something, and, also, it excited me that I would get to learn something new, you know, to go into another direction. So all these were the, you know, points of view that I had. When I took it, I had already decided to make it an animation film before I took it to Paperboard Design Studio. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Where did the idea of the story come from? This is a germ let me say, as a writer, the evolution of making, the three films that I have made till now. Like, my directorial debut was the Marathi film Rita, which was based on my mother's novel. So it was like her perception. It was my mother's novel that I was kind of adapting into a screenplay. The second was Tribhanga. It was a gut level reflection of what I had observed around me perhaps, what I had imagined, and it was like me throughout. And Loop Line is something that I have not experienced ever. Like, it's not my life, and yet I have observed many such lives. So in that sense, it's an evolution for me because now I'm writing about things that, maybe don't come from a lived experience, let's say. So, you know and, of course, it's about a theme that is very close to my heart because it's about women's lives, women's journeys, women's everyday lives. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So I think that, of course, has always been of interest to me. And, so it all came together in this, you know, in a succinct way in this story. What does it take for women to finally speak up, to break that loop, to muster up the courage and walk away from any relationship that turns toxic or abusive? What a lovely question that is. I think that in most films that you see and, you expect that women will finally take either a small or a big step to break out of this, you know, sort of toxic marriage or toxic situation of any kind. And, my Loop Line talks about those women who really don't have that kind of power to do that. They don't give themselves that option. And, I know that the option that many people take of stepping out or doing something different or rebelling is extremely tough. It's a very, very difficult, decision to make. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And yet, even living in a situation like this is also extremely difficult and requires a lot of strength. So I think we talk less about stories where women find ways to deal with their own situation and deal with the toxicity of their lives, in ways which might not, seem rebellious in terms of what society expects. But, at the same time, I feel that these little things that they are doing with their own selves, like, in their own minds, is a rebellion in a way, and that's what keeps their sanity. It takes incredible amount of strength for women to kind of speak up. You must be aware. All of us know that on social media, there is a difference between the trolling that women face and the trolling that men face. So I think that, basically, traditional societies would rather that women, you know, kind of sit at home and and not open their mouths, basically. So, that that is, still ongoing, you know, in a very insidious way. So the women who speak up, they are really, really, you know, brave, and I feel it takes a lot of courage to, even stick with your lives, against incredible odds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We have seen women characters in movies who have been submissive, who have given it to toxic people. So when you watch these movies, is there a sense of discomfort you feel? Yes. That is the idea that, you know, out of that discomfort, you start thinking and you start wondering whether this is the right way of behaving. You've seen this happening enough in families, and one never actually steps in and says that, oh, why are you behaving like this with your wife, your sister, your maid, whatever, whichever woman character there is in your house. There are so many situations where casual misogyny and toxic behaviour is normalized. There is no physical harm, isn't there? But sometimes the mental scars are even worse, especially if they continue over a very long period of time. So I think it takes a lot of courage to speak up, to change your situation because, the rest of your life might not be that happy ending that you thought of. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, it's a difficult thing. And today, what has happened is, unfortunately, there is such an imbalance that there are a lot of empowered women who are, you know, kind of, breaking glass ceilings everywhere. And yet, the set of values or moral values that are attached to women have not changed that much. And, the traditional roles of men have also not changed. I mean, they are also not given a chance to do something different.
