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    Film Bazaar | Turning Points & Trajectories

    • 29.11.2024
    • By Alankrita Shrivastava
    Creative First

    In this Industry Spotlight with Creative First, filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava joined Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director, Copyright & Digital Economy, Motion Picture Association, to discuss her journey in storytelling, her creative process, and her contributions to Indian cinema. Known for her focus on women’s narratives, Alankrita shared how her experiences—from assisting on major films like Rajneeti and Gangaajal to writing and directing Lipstick Under My Burkha—shaped her career.

    She reflected on the pivotal role of the 2012 Screenwriters Lab in redefining her approach to storytelling, emphasizing how the experience helped her articulate her voice as a filmmaker. Alankrita delved into her preference for character-driven, female-centric stories, highlighting how this lens informed her acclaimed works, including Made in HeavenDolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, and Bombay Begums.

    The conversation unpacked the challenges of balancing creative authenticity with market demands, with Alankrita championing conviction and personal connection in storytelling. Her journey of taking Lipstick Under My Burkha from script to screen—spanning multiple drafts, festival successes, and eventual commercial acclaim—underscored the resilience required in filmmaking.

    Alankrita concluded by encouraging young storytellers to embrace the learning opportunities offered by platforms like NFDC Film Bazaar, emphasizing patience and perseverance in nurturing bold ideas. This episode stood as a testament to her commitment to crafting impactful, unapologetically feminist cinema.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Alankrita Shrivastava

    Alankrita has worked with Prakash Jha Productions since 2003 and has contributed to significant films such as Raajneeti, Khoya Khoya Chand, Dil Dosti Etcetra, Apaharan and Gangaajal. She wrote the script for Lipstick Under My Burkha in 2012 and submitted the draft for the screenwriters’ lab at NFDC. Upon completion, the film had its world premiere in October 2016 at the Tokyo International Film Festival, screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, and had its North American premiere at the Miami International Film Festival in March 2017. After the success of Lipstick Under My Burkha, she went on to write and direct Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was released on Netflix. Making her series debut, she worked on the Amazon Prime Video series - Made in Heaven, where she directed and co-wrote several episodes for the show’s first and second seasons. She was also the creator, writer, director and showrunner of the show Bombay Begums which was released on Netflix. She also wrote and directed several episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s Modern Love: Mumbai. Having made her debut as a director in 2011, she has since won accolades such as the Grand Prix at the Créteil International Women’s Film Festival and a nomination for the FilmFare Critics Award for Best Film for Lipstick Under My Burkha. She studied filmmaking at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.