All Ladies League’s India Cinema chapter gets launched

Talking to DT Next, filmmaker and producer Beena Unnikrishnan, who is the chairperson of the India Cinema, said, “We will be instrumental in bringing out women-centric films made by women across the country. Moreover, these films will not talk about women empowerment. Women across the globe are already empowered. All we need is to ask for what we need. There are several talented women filmmakers and technicians out there who haven’t gotten their due. We will identify them and hence we have given this platform to prove themselves,” she said. Rashmi Govind, a city-based college student has edited the short in all languages. “I always wanted to get into screenwriting and directing. I thought that editing isn’t my cup of tea but it was during my internship with a company here, I realised that I can do a decent job. Of course, my friends helped me as well. They say cinema is a male-dominated industry but it surely has evolved and there are women, who I know have made it into films. The industry isn’t the same anymore,” she told us.

Antaraal talks about the emotional journey between a mother and a daughter and was shot during the lockdown. “All of us across the country coordinated on Whatsapp and shot it on smartphones from our respective homes. Beena suggested us on the lighting and retakes. It was exciting. Cinema has the power to bring to us the different cultures across the world. This initiative by us will surely bring about a change in Indian cinema,” says Sakina Ansari who has played a role in the film.

Abirami Vivek, the chair person for the All Tamil Nadu Chapter seconds her and says, “We all come from different cultures across the country and we were glad to see how one emotes in their own language and how their culture vary from ours when we see the same scene in different versions. Cinema has the power to take messages to the mass audience and that is what we want to do in future. Moreover, we are planning to start other chapters as well.”

Garima Sinha another actor says, “Beena has made this possible. Not all women who have theatre background or have the passion to act are being recognised from the film industry. We hope this initiative will change that perception.”