Loveleen Tandon
Loveleen Tandon

Slumdog Millionaire not only brought the international fame to Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto and the kids in the film but also to Loveleen Tandon, who co-directed the film. Previously it was supposed that she only did the right casting for the film, but she also co-directed the film. “That wasn’t the only thing I was doing. Casting is a part of the bigger scene, part of the larger vision,” she clears.

After Slumdog… she kept low profile till now, which is because she was busy with a new script. “Yes, I have literally been hibernating in New Delhi.” But now she is emerging as an individual director. “I have been busy with my film script. That’s a full-time job,” said Loveleen.

She got break from her work only when she was invited by the Queen at the Buckingham Palace. She also made a trip to Mumbai for a play ‘I am an Emotional Creature’ by Eve Ensler and Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwa.At the play she read the epilogue where the director connects her film with the play. “It’s a great co-incidence that Eve’s play is quite similar to my script, the story of a young girl, her desires, emotions and the pressures on her,” said she.

Meanwhile, shooting for her film will start next year. And Loveleen is the one who believes that getting good actors for a film is not difficult if your script is good. She adds, “People are always on the lookout for a good script. Whether its actors or producers, nobody says no to a good script.” She received a great applaud for the right casting of Slumdog Millionaire.

With her new film, whether there is pressure on her mind to match the heights of Slumdog…, because comparisons are bound to happen. Well, she is not bothered about it as she says, “I’m someone who thrives on pressure. I thrive on tension, crisis, less time and deadlines. It brings out the best in me.”

However one questions that she often has to answer and makes her uncomfortable is- Whether her film is an international venture? And she answers, “You just make a film. Whether it becomes a hit in a city or a country, two countries or five is beyond you. Crossover, international, mainstream, commercial, art… are just tags.”
Loveleen also has assisted Mira Nair in Monsoon Wedding and on that note she says, “She lives abroad. She comes from a different space. I live in India. This is my specialty. I can’t relate to the NRI experience. Maybe some day in the future, butat the moment, mine is the Indian experience. It’s unique; there’s a strong element of traditional and modern ethos, perfect material for movie making.”
Well, what’s her say on the controversy that Slumdog… depicted only the poverty of India. “Films are stories, they are not documentaries meant to highlight any aspect of society. You can only tell a story and tell it well. If it’s a boy from the slums, you have to tell it from that perspective. You can’t glamourise or glorify it,” adds the talented director.