Rashmi Rocket director Akarsh Khurana talks about the research that went behind the story, whether they want a theatrical release and why Taapsee Pannu was the best choice.
Taapsee Pannu’s Rashmi Rocket has been creating quite the buzz and all for the right reasons. The trailer that dropped last week, shows a woman sprinter from Gujarat at the top of her career brought down by the masses around her due to the results of a gender verification test. As her body does not follow the conventional feminine structure, her identity is challenged, she is shunned by her teammates, harassed by the masses, and hence starts her journey of fighting for justice.
Going by trailer the film also seems to question the gender norms and challenge the concepts of femininity and masculinity. So, ahead of its release, we caught up with director Akasrsh Khurana who talked to us about the research that went behind the story, whether they want a theatrical release and why Taapsee Pannu, according to him is the best choice to play the titular character.
Excerpts from the interview:
What made you say yes to directing Rashmi Rocket?
This is a very different film, and what I really liked was that it was the story of one woman who decides to raise her voice against something that is an age-old process, the system the thought process. I like that it was a story of human struggle and the triumph of the human spirit. Also, as a viewer, I have always enjoyed watching courtroom dramas, sports films and mature romances, and this film actually gave me the opportunity to do all three of them. But at the end of the day, it was the story of this one woman who was fighting against injustice, and that was something that appealed to me the most.
How intensive was the research process?
We had to research a lot at the writing stage. My screenplay writer Anirudh Guha used to be a journalist, so, besides being a commercial writer who would write a good film, he also had a research bent of mind, and he would put in all the time and the patience necessary to research everything that was needed. He spoke to athletes, people from the Sports Federation, lawyers, doctors and experts to make sure that we have covered every ground and we were right about an issue as sensitive as this. There was a whole load of research that went into the writing process.
Now that theatres are going to re-open, do you look forward to a theatrical release?
I don’t think anyone anticipated an OTT release but then Covid happened and the cinemas shut down. Given the circumstances, I think it was a good decision to make sure that the film comes out on ZEE5 where the maximum number of people can see it in the safety of their homes. Everybody has a dream that their film comes out in the cinema hall, but the world has completely changed in the last two years. The cinema-going experience might be back, but it will always be slightly different after what has happened. And I think that’s just the way kind of things played out. Of course, everyone wishes their film could be seen on a big screen with an audience, but at the same time, I think that it’s also good that a story that is important is now being so accessible to everybody.
Why do you think Taapsee Pannu was the best choice for Rashmi Rocket?
It is because of the level of commitment that Taapsee put into this film to get into the mental and physical shape to play an athlete. She was shooting for another film in Haridwar but, at the same time, was waking up at 4 am in the morning to training for this. She controlled her diet and trained for eight to ten months. The level of commitment that she showed right from the beginning when she narrated the story to me was unbelievable and I don’t know if anyone else would have put in that kind of time and effort. Besides that, she is a fantastic actress and she now represents a certain kind of important cinema. It just seems that she is the most perfect person to play this part.
So have worked as a writer, director and actor? Was this a natural progression?
Writing can sometimes lead to directing. A lot of writers do turn into directors and a lot of directors write their own stuff. So I think that’s organic. In terms of acting, I am not that much of an actor. I have a few roles but it’s not something that I prioritize. I am happier being the director or the writer. I don’t consider myself a full-time actor at all. Also, I come from a theatre background where I’ve done everything from acting, directing, producing, to managing lights and sound. When you are from a background like that, you develop that range. However, I prefer directing and writing.
Your previous films follow offbeat topics. With Rashmi Rocket, are you venturing into the commercial arena?
The film is, by its nature, far more commercial, so I’m hoping that it will be perceived in that manner. I think the story has the scope to scale up and become a little bit more commercial. These are not conscious choices, as the content of any story governs how large or how small the film gets made. Definitely, this feels like something that would have more of a commercial reach.
Till a few days back, people were ridiculing Taapsee’s body structure. Do you hope this film will start a positive dialogue in society?
I hope it starts some sort of dialogue, and that it can, maybe, make people reassess their mindsets. It would be good if the film gives people something to think about. The first step to change would be to talk about it, then let it lead to discussions and debates. These small stepping stones would lead to something much larger.
Supported by a stellar cast of Abhishek Banerjee, Pariyanshu Painyuli and Supriya Pathak, Rashmi Rocket will release on Zee5 on October 15.
