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on 2008/8/28 23:07:39
Five years after her debut with Chupke Se, writer-director Shona Urvashi is excited about her next, Saas Bahu aur Sensex.
Despite the title, Saas Bahu aur Sensex is not a spoof on the domestic divas so popular on television, insists Shona Urvashi. “I applaud those who watch these serials,” says Urvashi, also a full-time mom of a five-year-old daughter. “I have watched quite a few episodes and I think the character portrayals are interesting.”
Urvashi’s film has its characters spending time watching the soaps. The lives of these women change when they decide to invest in the Sensex. That is where the connection lies.
Urvashi’s sweet and original storyline reminds one of the innocence of Chupke Se, her 2003 debut film that starred her sister Masumeh.
“During my research for SBAS, I met many housewives who collect the kitty party money and invest in the stock market,” says Urvashi, who wrote the script because she wanted to document the change the rise of the Sensex has brought about in society. “For many of us, the Sensex is just numbers that go up and down, but it is a phenomenon that affects many.”
Urvashi shot mainly in the suburbs of New Bombay and Pune because she wanted to show the emerging side of India with its malls. “Usually, when we show India, it is about poverty. I wanted to show us in a positive outlook,” she says. At the same time, Urvashi did not want to make it preachy.
Documenting this changing India in a fun way was one of the challenges that Urvashi faced while scripting the film. “I wanted to make it interesting for even those who know nothing about the Sensex,” she explains. Though she has dealt with the market in a humorous way, Urvashi clarifies that hers is not a slapstick comedy. “Saas Bahu aur Sensex falls more in the old-school style, with delicate characterisation, like Chashme Buddoor. It’s a non-traditional comedy,” she elaborates.
Apart from Masumeh and Tanushree Dutta, Urvashi’s star cast has Kirron Kher, Lillette Dubey, Sharon Prabhakar and Farooque Shaikh. Working with these seasoned actors was an eye-opener for Urvashi. “I learnt how much fun they can be,” she recalls. “When they were on the sets, I felt like I’m the old person and they are the young ones, they were so mischievous and naughty.” Urvashi is a great believer in having fun in life. “If we have even a bit of sense of humour, it can get us through life’s difficult moments.”
