Disappointing: Konkana believes only 3 per cent of films are being directed by women filmmakers
Noting that only 3 percent of the 2,500 films produced in India last year were directed by women, Konkana Sen Sharma calls the situation “disappointing”. He said anything less than 50 percent is unacceptable.
The conversation around gender equality in Indian cinema has started once again, this time with actor-director Konkona Sen Sharma strongly attacking the disappointing representation of women behind the camera. Referring to the statistic that only 3 percent of the 2,500 films produced in India last year were directed by women, Konkana described the situation as “disappointing” and said it was far from acceptable.
❮❯
in a recent conversation Variety IndiaKonkona, who is this? is preparing for the release of accusedTalked about the need for better representation in film production. she had joined accused Co-starring Pratibha Ranta and director Anubhuti Kashyap.
Konkona said, “This is a sad reality. The numbers are very, very small – 3 per cent is extremely disappointing. It should be at least 50 per cent. Anything below this is not acceptable.”
He further said, “Is it better than before? Maybe. But it should not be the benchmark. We should focus on where we need to go.”
Highlighting systemic challenges, she added, “Too often, decisions are driven by economics rather than the goal of building a more equitable society and that gets in the way. At the end of the day, it’s about representation. We need more women to step up and choose these careers.”
Sharing her perspective, Anubhuti said, “I think we are on the right track. In my personal experience, I have not seen instances where people have not been selected because of their gender – at least not to my knowledge. This also has to do with how our country and system is working.”
Anubhuti further added, “Patriarchy has been strong for a long time. Women have started entering these professions and spaces much later, and they did not have the opportunities earlier.” He added, “The numbers are just starting to get stronger, and I expect that to happen very soon. But I don’t think at the moment it’s because someone is deliberately choosing not to choose women.”
accused Written by Seema Agarwal and Yash Keshwani. The psychological thriller is helmed by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawala and Somen Mishra. This film is going to be released on Netflix on 27th February.
