Director Abhishek Kapoor remembers the time when he set out to film Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui soon after the first lockdown in 2020. Conversations during the lockdown pertained to safety precautions during the pandemic, the need to be planet-friendly and whether the content in mainstream cinema will change for the better as homebound audiences lap up movies and series from across the globe on OTT platforms.
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Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui , starring Ayushmann Khurrana as a fitness trainer and Vaani Kapoor as a Zumba instructor, which releases in theatres on December 10, is not a regular love story, says Abhishek. “Vaani plays a trans woman called Maanvi who has made the gender transition a few years ago and is now living life on her terms. This is a progressive story. We went to the sets with the excitement of making a film that calls for a change in our mindset and is more accepting of people.”
The promos describe Ayushmann’s character Manu as an alpha male who has a sensitive side to him and Vaani as an actor taking up a role that is unlike a mainstream heroine. Abhishek says, “It is a film with a lot of colour and music. We want people to come in, be entertained and watch a story that is relevant today.”
- Abhishek Kapoor’s wife and the film’s co-producer Pragya Kapoor stepped up the sustainability quotient by ensuring zero waste on the film set. Pragya is the founder of Ek Saath Foundation, which takes up beach clean-ups and other eco-friendly activities from time to time. Partnering with the waste management organisation Scrap, Pragya ensured stringent waste management on sets.
- Leftover food was donated to those who needed it, plastic waste was sent for recycling and used PPE kits were recycled to make fly-ash bricks. An estimated 17,000 tonnes of waste was prevented from going into landfills.
- Abhishek terms the process an eye opener. “It did not throw the budget or schedule out of the norm. We had the intent, put our minds to it and realised zero waste is possible on a film set. We all know what is happening to our planet. Our generation and the two before us have ended up damaging the planet. We need to do what best we can to leave it safer for our children.”
The idea was pitched by Simran Sahni who works with Abhishek’s writing team: “The original idea was a serious story; I thought it needed to be dealt with differently.” Abhishek set to work with his co-writers Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe. Research preceded the writing process. “We met several trans people and a psychologist. I also learnt that Simran, who pitched the story, has two trans daughters. I observed them closely and found them to be fascinating individuals with evolved thought processes.”
The more trans people Abhishek met, he realised how little the world understands them. “We take gender for granted. It is not easy for someone to transition. After psychological counselling for a year or more, the doctors decide if a person is ready for change. The surgery is a complicated one, involving hormonal changes. A process of spiritual awakening happens after the trial by fire. Many who have made the transition are proud of how beautiful they are today and how their mind and body are in sync. Yet, they are hurt when society does not accept them.”
Talking of trans people who are widely known, Abhishek cites the example of The Wachowski siblings, creators of The Matrix .
Chandigarh kare Aashiqui explores how Ayushmann’s character grapples with the past of Vaani’s character. “Manu (Ayushmann) is a layered character as well — what he projects to the outside world, following family and societal expectations, is different from who he actually is. Fitness gives him the freedom to be himself. I found it fascinating to bring in a strong female character into the world of a Punjabi munda who is expected to be a certain way.”
Abhishek says casting the female lead was not easy. The team deliberated on casting a trans person before deciding to go for a mainstream heroine. “I thought popular actors might have image issues and would hesitate. However, Vaani was enthusiastic after reading the script.” He adds that her character is not projected as a victim, but as an empowered woman. “Only when people accept a trans woman the way she is, will there be normalcy.”
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is a departure from Abhishek’s earlier films Kai Po Che, Rock On, Fitoor and Kedarnath . He likes to unlearn and start fresh with each project, rather than maintain a signature style. “It is humbling to get into a new world and explore the best possible way to narrate a story. If you see all my films, you might not be able to link them to me. With time, people have begun to recognise that I do something new each time.”
