In an exclusive interview, R Balki talks about his segment in Lust Stories 2 and portrayal of eccentric elderly women like Neena Gupta in his films.
R Balki’s short film sets the tone for Netflix India anthology Lust Stories 2. While the other three films enter darker territories, Balki’s is decidedly lighthearted. Starring Neena Gupta as a grandmother who dishes out sermons on sexual compatibility, Balki’s film is, as he insists, a ‘lust story for families.’
In an exclusive interview, R Balki speaks about the portrayal of lust in his filmography, why there are no lovemaking scenes in his segment and why, unlike other directors in the anthology, he wanted to tell a lighthearted story about lust. Excerpts:
The portrayal of elderly women in your films has always been very interesting. Zohra Sehgal in Paa who pushes her 64-year-old son to a gym, Arundhati Nag in Paa whose nickname is Bum “because she’s got a big bum,” and most recently, Saranya Povannan in Chup and Neena Gupta in Lust Stories 2. Why are all your dadis and nanis so old and wild? Affectionate yet eccentric?
They’re not wild, they’re normal. We all have a very cliched view of our mothers and grandmothers. Actually, just because they don’t appear so cool and act so cool doesn’t mean they’re not cool in their thought. They’re very progressive. They’re saying a lot of things people want to hear. It’s their behavioural norm, but their thoughts and opinions of relationships and everything else is very very progressive. You’ll be surprised to know, after the initial bit of shame, if you actually sit with your grandmother, you’ll find them saying, “So what? What’s the big deal there?” They’ll be saying it much more casually than middle-aged people. Elderly people have lived life. They know it’s all a charade, they know life is short. They’re just held back by the societal restrictions. They don’t want to embarrass the people around them. But they’re very progressive within themselves.
Source : Hindustan times