'Festival kid' Tahira Kashyap gets acknowledged for her work only at film fests

Tahira Kashyap

Writer and director Tahira Kashyap calls herself a "festival kid", saying she gets acknowledged for her work only at film festivals. Talking to IANS at the Cinevesture International Film Festival 2024 (CIFF), Kashyap elaborated on the importance that film festivals hold in her life.

Kashyap, who made her directorial debut in 2017 with the short film ‘Toffee', said: "I am a festival kid only. I got my acknowledgement through film festivals only. When I made my first short film ‘Toffee' it was selected at many film festivals, and that was a very gratifying experience for a first-time director. I love short films and film festivals."

Continuing on the subject, Kashyap said: "I also love feature films being showcased at the festivals. Recently my feature film ‘Sharmajee Ki Beti' was featured at the prestigious MAMI Film Festival. And once you are a part of such festivals, you are also exposed to other filmmakers and other sessions. I got to see some really world-class cinema," said Tahira, who is known for her books ‘I Promise', ‘Souled Out' and ‘The 12 Commandments of Being a Woman'.

"I went to the Taiwan International Film Festival and I was surprised to see all Taiwanese kids loving Indian films. ‘Mujhe laga tha unko kuch samajh hi nahi ayega', but somehow I was the star there, they were clicking pictures, and my film was along with the Cannes winner. So, I feel that there is a lot of respectability, and credibility when it comes to film festivals."

Speaking more on the genre of shorts, Kashyap, who is also the wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana, said: "I have done short films also, and a feature film too. And I feel it takes an equal amount of hard work in both of them. Of course, the team is almost the same, but the number of days is reduced for short films."

Calling herself a "sucker for stories", Kashyap said: "I love writing, portraying and visualising my stories in every format. I am very happy that short films are doing rounds, but honestly speaking they have made it to the film festivals, it's a great way to showcase your talent. But when it comes to the mainstream, they are part of anthologies, and nowadays I don't think anthologies are -- it's not gratifying for the producers."

She added: "I think for them (producers) the feature format works better. I am just talking about the dynamics of the market. But if short films are consumed in an equal amount on platforms, then it gives a great boost to the directors to showcase their stories."

Kashyap concluded by saying: "I am glad that short films are made in regional languages, it's a part of India, and it is a great way to introduce a language to a region which is not being exposed to that. And a short format can get into the market and people can ease up to it."

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