A few years ago Vandana heard from a dear friend about how her brother and their parents were being blackmailed by his wife and even though they belonged to a very high society family still had difficulty fighting the law and that is when she saw the act that's supposed to protect being misused blatantly for extorting money and for vengeful harassment.
With an aim to address the issues, Vandana decided to talk about it through a film, The Lovers, starring Shweta Basu and Zarina Wahab. Her short film made for Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short film shares this message about the Misuse of the Domestic Violence Act 498A.
Talking about the film, Vandana said, "Though the act is made to protect the woman from dowry harassment and domestic violence and very rightly so but there is a silent category of men who are victims of this Act and who can’t speak about the harassment due to society's pressure and their point of view is something I wanted to bring to light through this short." She further adds, "Cinema is a strong medium that can convey so much and can bring about the desired change in social mindset, and that's when my director and I decided to write the story and eventually make the film. This incident also started my journey into the world of film making. "
About her film, Vandana says, "The characters in the film have done a great job, all are powerful performers. Shweta Basu Prasad, who was always my first choice for the role, is outstanding and even though has very few dialogues in the film she has used her expressions beautifully to convey it all. It is Anuraag’s first film and I think he has done a great job. Zarina ji is a very skilled actor herself and has given a very nuanced performance. Shweta, Anuraag and Zarinaji found the subject very relevant and felt this aspect of domestic abuse must get highlighted in media through a movie. Preeti Singh is the director and has done a good job conveying the subject in the best way possible. Activist Deepika Bharadhwaj and highly esteemed lawyer Mrunalini Deshmukh have seen the film and have endorsed its message."
The film is shot in Gwalior City and is 23 minutes long. This short film is releasing on Feb 24th for Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.
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