There is something about Soni . The feature film about two Delhi policewomen was the only Indian film to have been screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2018 and created quite a buzz at the just concluded Mumbai Film Festival. Director Ivan Ayr’s first feature film traces the lives of and relationship between Kalpana, an IPS officer, and Soni, her subordinate. Soni, loud-mouthed and bold, often finds herself battling sexism on the streets, in office and at home. Kalpana struggles with her job, as her husband, a senior IPS officer, tries to dictate her actions in office. She tries to protect Soni from falling down the unforgiving police ranks. As the women battle it out at home and work, the film’s storyline gives its audience a chance to meditate on the hostile atmosphere which a woman has to deal with while doing what is traditionally considered a man’s job. Ayr tells BL ink that the film also looks at the role a family plays.

BLinkIvan-Ayr

Ivan Ayr

 

Excerpts from an interview:

What made you think of Soni , which is as much about the two policewomen’s personal lives as about their private selves?

I felt that the story would be incomplete without either side. Each character’s family situation is completely different. While Soni is estranged and lives on her own, without any familial support, Kalpana, her superior, has the support of her entire family. I have also looked at the family as a certain kind of privilege, which Kalpana has, and Soni doesn’t. I believe it influences the different perspectives that they have in life.

Their friendship sustains despite the fact that Kalpana is Soni’s superior and sometimes forced to take decisions against her.

They are separated by two ranks, but there is a vast difference between the two ranks.

Was the location of the film — Delhi — significant?

I spent the first six years of my life in Delhi and I still visit it quite often. Though I’m currently based out of San Francisco, I still have family in Delhi.

While I had no illusions about the safety of women in Delhi, the rising incidents of crime in the capital, and the resultant news in the media compelled me to come back and find out the truth for myself. I began writing about the lives of two policewomen in the city in 2014, and finally finished it in 2017.

This is your debut film. How did you get into filmmaking?

I studied engineering from the Punjab Technical University in Chandigarh, and then left for San Francisco to do my double masters in engineering and journalism in 2011. I was always interested in writing, and I figured a masters in journalism would take me closer to that. I ended up joining the San Francisco Film Society where I learnt the craft of filmmaking.

The film also delves into the inner lives of the protagonists.

Loneliness and pessimism have a connection. If you are alone, you can end up with a negative outlook. I’m exploring the pressures the police force has to deal with, and how the situation worsens if you don’t have the necessary support from your loved ones. Family is also a privilege in Kalpana’s case, as opposed to Soni, who has to fend for herself. Kalpana’s isolation towards the end of the film is ironical because of the people around her at home who expect her to do (in her job) what she has been told to do. This gives rise to self-conflict.

Is Soni a reflection of someone you know or someone imagined? Why is the film named after her?

While she is not based on one particular person, she has been drawn from a few, as well as from my research during which I met policemen and many women in Delhi. I have also had feisty teachers in the past. I have no idea how I thought of the name — I suppose it just came to me from somewhere.

Tell us about the main actors…

The actors were part of the research process where we did a fly-on-the-wall exercise at various police stations in the city. Geetika Batra Ohlyan (Soni) is a first-time actor and fit the role very well. Saloni Batra (Kalpana) and Geetika also did several workshops together.

How difficult was it for you to give voice to a woman’s perspective?

My producer Kimsi Singh was on board right from the word go. I used her as my sounding board from the first draft itself. At later stages, we got a script consultant in the form of my former screenwriting teacher, Lisa Rosenberg. I realised that even if I’m writing it consciously, some male opinions may become dominant in the script, or I might miss out on a woman’s perspective. I wanted to keep it as real as possible.

When will the film be released?

The producers of this film have sold the rights to Netflix, and the movie will be released early next year. In the meantime, it has already been screened at festivals.

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