Zoya Akhtar : Brother-sister ties not well represented on Indian screens

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar says the bond between brothers and sisters is not well represented on the big screen in India.

“I’ve always wanted to make a family drama. Drama is my favourite genre. Brother-sister relationship at the core hasn’t been well represented on Indian screens. It’s always wrapped in rituals … never what it really is. Nobody else knows you better.

“I wanted to show that relationship in ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’,” Zoya told reporters after the screening of her film at the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards here on Saturday.

She hoped that the film, which revolves around a dysfunctional family with actors Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh playing siblings, moves people.

“I hope it moves people and entertains them. I hope they think about the things that they don’t think about,” she said about the film, which released on Friday.

“Dil Dhadakne Do” also stars Zoya’s brother Farhan Akhtar, who believes Zoya makes films that are universally applicable.

She found working with her brother easy.

“He (Farhan) became a part of the film since its scripting process. He has written the dialogues of the film,” she said.

Zoya also feels blessed because superstar Aamir Khan accepted her request to be the voice of a dog named Pluto in the film.

“Aamir has been good to Farhan, Ritesh (Sidhwani) and me. He saw the film, liked it and he was on for Pluto,” she said.

Inputs By IANS

Shreyash

An Architecture student by Profession, a Bollywood Buff and Writer by Passion.