Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, known for her relatable, middle-of-the-road storytelling in films like Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi, is looking to scale up. In a recent interview with PTI at the Red Lorry Film Festival, she shared her ambition to helm a massive, big-budget event film and already has a dream trio in mind.
If given the opportunity to direct a multi-crore spectacle, Ashwiny revealed that her ideal cast would star Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, and Sai Pallavi. She told PTI, “ I’ve lots of names on my wish list but right now, my wish list is Deepika, Alia, Sai Pallavi. I hope Deepika, Alia, Sai Pallavi are listening. I’m putting it out in the universe.”
Ashwiny also addressed the gender disparity in high-budget filmmaking. Mentioning that her husband, Nitesh Tiwari, is currently working on the ambitious Ramayana after the success of Dangal, she questioned why women directors aren’t more frequently entrusted with massive projects. She said, “Why can’t a woman make a Rs 100 or Rs 1,000 crore film, why only a male director has to make? I have one in the house… but still.” She explained that while she possesses the creative vision, studio backing is the final piece of the puzzle. She shared, “I may have an idea today, but if the studio is putting in money, then they also need to have that much faith and a long-term plan on it. So, it’s a two-way process.”
Known for her slice-of-life dramas, Ashwiny expressed a keen interest in exploring the action genre, though with a grounded touch. She mentioned, “I want to make action films. There has to be some sentiment in it,” adding favourites like The Incredibles and Spider-Man.
She also voiced her support for fellow director Geetu Mohandas, who is currently directing the pan-India action drama Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups starring Yash. She said, “I’m very very happy for Geetu to make that kind of film, and also to be an encourager for many more storytellers. Moreover, I feel that it’s all about faith and trust in the maker, so it doesn’t matter. I always feel that a good storyteller will always be a good storyteller, it’s just that the budgets increase, or are the same. Hats off to Yash to support Geetu, and also to make sure that it gets the right kind of window for film like that, so I think that’s great.”
Ashwiny also revealed that she recently watched Dhurandhar to understand what is currently resonating with the masses. She explained, “For me it was more of a market check to see what makes the audiences happy and that is very important for us. We cannot shy away from that as a storyteller.” She also shard her excitement for the sequel, Dhurandhar 2, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, which releases in theatres on March 19.
Also Read: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Anvita Dutt And Jasmeet K. Reen On Filmfare OTT Showcase
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