EXCLUSIVE: Kanika Dhillon on collaborating with Taapsee Pannu for Gandhari, says, “She has not done something like this before”

Kanika Dhillon in 2018 made a romantic drama Manmarziyaan (2018), that made her gain widespread recognition as a screenwriter. She followed it up with Kedarnath (2018), Judgementall Hai Kya (2019), Guilty (2020), Haseen Dillruba (2021), and Raksha Bandhan (2022). In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Kanika Dhillon opens up on collaborating with Taapsee Pannu for Gandhari.

Kanika Dhillon on collaborating with Taapsee Pannu in Gandhari

Talking about her upcoming film Gandhari and working with Taapsee Pannu, Kanika Dhillon said, “See I love action films. And I love them with the fact of what they do for women there. So I had to do an action film obviously. And I wanted a female lead action film because that is something we have seen so many male actors performing. I genuinely enjoy seeing action films with both male-led and female-led also. I wanted to kind of push the envelope like I have done a pulp for the platform, I did Do Patti so what next?”

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The writer added, “Gandhari hopefully will be bigger and it’s an action franchise, it has a lot of challenges. It is something very new, and like to challenge myself, and the people around me. Taapsee has not done something like this before, she has done action but in a very different form of action. So we are all very excited about Gandhari and it is an audience-first film. And I am hoping to get as much love on Gandhari as much as I have got for Haseen 1, Haseen 2, and tremendous love in Do Patti.”

Kanika Dhillon on women in industry

Speaking about whether it is difficult to pave the way to being a woman in a male-dominated industry, Kanika Dhillon said, “As a female, it is tough to pave your way in any industry. Be it as a chef, be it as a politician, be it in the parliament, be it in a corporate, the odds are stacked against you, and in our profession because you are living in a glass bowl and so when people come at you its public, it’s even more difficult. But of course, there is so much prejudice, there is so much stacked against you as a woman, it’s not even funny.”

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Dhillon added, “And I feel it every day, and every day I have a stronger result to make the sisterhood in this industry stronger. I have some amazing friends who are working towards it, Guneet Monga is somebody I have really looked up to. She’s such a giving, humble strong woman. A lot of men are respected on one side and Guneet Monga is on another side. I mean what she’s doing for the industry, what she’s doing for the women in the industry, she shared some thoughts and ideas with me about how we can come together and become a stronger body. She is truly a visionary and I really look up to her.”

Kanika Dhillon on sisterhood

The Do Patti writer-producer noted, “There are other really strong opinionated women with whom I am interacting. And we are coming together for certain things. But I genuinely feel sisterhood is very important in the industry because the prejudice is too much. And every day one battles with perception, character assassination, and sifting through the boys’ club. And I am just not saying these are random people, they are very respected names in the industry. They don’t even realize that it’s a boys’ club. We definitely as women will face it, we are facing it but we have to keep our heads down and work harder every day, prove ourselves every time and together we can do it.”

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The Dunki writer concluded, “And like I have always said when women come together incredible things can happen. Do Patti happened it has done incredibly well, there are a lot of women I admire Kajol, Kriti, Monica, the head of Netflix. It’s been a pleasure to work with all of them. And nothing against men, I love men, but I just feel like sisterhood is very important and we’re here to stay, to tell our stories so, let’s do it together and have fun.”

Watch the full interview

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Dunki writer Kanika Dhillon calls Shah Rukh Khan chivalrous, says, “He is one of the most secure men I met”