In August, on the 20th anniversary of Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Farhan Akhtar announced that he will return to the director’s chair with Jee Le Zaraa, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. It is only fitting that the man who redefined friendship in Bollywood by telling the story of three guys and their shenanigans, will train his lens on the dynamics of female friendship.

For an industry that has explored diverse genres, Bollywood has only a handful of female buddy films. Akhtar states that Jee Le Zaraa, written by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and him, is his attempt to see the world through the gaze of women. “Whether it’s a drama, comedy or thriller, [there should be] films made about women. That balance is healthy for the creative world. Where you have the male point of view, you also have the female point of view on things. Emotionally, the construct of the two is similar [on a certain plane] yet different. To see the world through women’s eyes is important in popular culture. The more we [embrace] it, the healthier it will be for society.”