I feel we always get to work with the men we want to, but never the women we look up to: Kriti Sanon

Actor, alongside Kareena Kapoor and Tabu, discussed what it means to finally be working in female-led films

It seems a new wave of Bollywood is coming with a lot of female actors ready to rock the big screen without their male counterparts in sight—and honestly, it has been a long time coming. After Jee Le Zaraa’s exciting news about bringing Bollywood’s sweethearts Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, and their friendship to the forefront, Rhea Kapoor surprised us with an announcement of producing a movie starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon last month.

In a conversation with Vogue, Rhea’s protagonists, the three actors—each born a decade apart— have opened up about their respective careers, the changing face of Bollywood and the privilege of working with like-minded colleagues. "I’m so excited to finally have everyone together in the same frame. And in shock, obviously, that all of this has finally come to fruition," said Rhea. "Bebo has been my friend and lucky charm since Ektaa and I worked with her on Veere Di Wedding. But this is the first time I’ll be working with Tabu and Kriti,” she added.

While Kareena and Kriti have previously worked on comedies, Tabu is an interesting pick for the entertainer since the Bhool Bulaiyya actor has mostly done serious, mysterious roles. Speaking about the switch in genre, she said, “Every film has its own world and it’s nice to inhabit different kinds of worlds. I’ve always had a mixed bag of films in my career and it feels great to be doing a home production with such talented co-stars.”

She went on to compliment her co-actors. “Kareena, I have worked with your sister in so many movies. I remember Babita used to call us ‘the hit pair of cinema’ so you feel familiar to me by extension. Kriti is so beautiful and hard-working, and I’m sure it’s going to be fun. Do you know how you get into a project knowing what you want from it? I’m certain I’ll derive a lot of happiness and joy from working on this film.”

Kareena, who’s been waiting for something like this to come together with the right people, told Rhea, “I remember when we discussed the plot and you told me you were planning to rope in Tabu and Kriti...I just thought about how perfect it would be if you could actually manage to sign them on. You and I created magic together in Veere, but it’s going to be so wonderful to make this movie with two such stellar female actors.”

She then revealed being a fan of Tabu. “I’ve been a big fan of Tabu, and like she was saying earlier, Lolo [Karisma] did mention that it’s an unrivalled honour for me to be sharing screen space with a veteran like her. Kriti is also doing extremely well for herself and has really made an impression among the current crop of actors in Bollywood. I just think all of us are going to go out there and make a fabulous movie.”

Rhea confessed that she signed Kriti because she feels the Mimi star is the only actor from her generation who does what her heart tells her to do. “You’ve done such incredible roles for somebody who entered this industry less than a decade ago—you’ve never played it safe,” she added. Kriti, over the moon, replied, “I feel like we always get to work with the men we want to, but never with the women we look up to. It’s so rare to be cast alongside women you admire in an industry where male-dominated films rule the box office.”

Kriti, like everyone else, also expressed her admiration for her co-stars. “I was even more thrilled because I’ve been a fan of both Tabu and Kareena. I’ve bumped into Tabu at various events, parties and award functions, and she has always been so warm. Bebo is simply iconic. Who doesn’t want to work with her?” she asked.

When asked about the optics of women working together, Kareena said, “Ultimately, we just have to make a good movie. If we are all looking stunning and giving our best, the film will be amazing.

Kriti added, “I personally feel like mainstream films today sit at the intersection of entertainment and realness. The two aren’t mutually exclusive anymore. A mainstream film can be very real and still be very entertaining. And that’s what this film is. All of our characters play off of each other. It’s a lot about just coming together and reacting to one another. I feel like we might get some great unscripted moments as well.”

Rhea went on to note that the humour is “pretty obnoxious,” in response to which Kriti shared, “That’s how the script is. It doesn’t have set lines and dialogues, and I’m actually very excited about that. I’m eager to watch the organic chemistry develop between these three characters.”

When asked if Tabu is more excited to see the chemistry between her and her female colleagues as opposed to the chemistry she’s had with her heroes, Tabu agree with Kriti, adding, “When you step onto the set and start working on the film is when the whole story will actually start developing. So, I’m keen to experience this dynamic world rather than go in with preconceived notions.”

Rhea shared that she’s always wanted to make a movie for which she doesn’t have to apologise to the Indian audiences that are used to seeing female actors play approachable, unintimidating characters. “But I don’t care anymore, this is going to be high glamour,” she asserted. “I think we should all wear kaftans [laughs],” quipped Kareena.

Rhea then recalled how growing up around her dad, a quintessential Bollywood hero, she’d often notice how shoot schedules would revolve entirely around the men’s dates. But in her film’s case, “my heroines are calling the shots and I’m happy to let them.” Kriti added, “These days, heroines are actually busier than the heroes—just saying. Still, it’s nice to not have to adjust my dates according to a guy’s calendar.”

“I can’t wait to start shooting,” Kareena concluded.

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