We all know that the film industry like many others is a marginalised industry where women have bleak opportunities to make it. Chalo these days you will find a lot of female assistant directors, female costume designers, female set designers, female directors, and female producers but very rarely you will see a female heading in the light department or a spot girl instead of a spot boy. But you will see quite the opposite on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In the latest episode of The Male Feminist, Richa Chadha shares details on there being more women than men on his sets.
Richa Chadha appeared as a guest on the latest episode of The Male Feminist and in a conversation with Siddhaarth Aalambayan, she shared that people will find more women on the sets of ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She said, “Unke set pe there are 60% women and 40% men.” She also said that Bhansali has solid female HODs and also how he trusts the women around him and is comfortable working with them. Richa Chadha is working with Sanjay Leena Bhansali on his upcoming project Heeramandi.
Moreover, Richa Chadha also talked about how she and her team were looking to form an all-women crew for her and Ali Fazal’s maiden production Girls Will Be Girls. She said, “There were very few or no women in the grips and lighting department.” So, they had to form a crew of 70% women and 30% men which is also a commendable ratio given the rampant sexism in the industry.
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We need more actors like Richa Chadha to ensure that the filming crews include more women and recognise their talent. The lack of more women in the crew is because people cannot handle a woman doing the same job a man can. Technical departments cannot be a woman’s foray and how is more fit to take on lesser responsibilities has been the notion the entire time.