Karan Boolani-directed 'Thank You For Coming' is making quite a bit of noise in the Indian box office. Starring Bhumi Pednekar, Shibani Bedi, Kusha Kapila, Shehnaaz Gill and Dolly Singh, the film revolves around female sexual pleasure and the bond between women friends. Rhea Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor have produced the film and it had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last month. After its theatrical release in India (October 6), TMS spoke to actor Shibani Bedi. Excerpts from the conversation:
The film is being marketed as a sex comedy but it seems like the ultimate chick flick.
Yes, at its core it is a chick-flick. It is a woman’s story, written by women, made by women, and shot through the female gaze. The film tackles the struggles women go through on a regular basis regarding their attitude towards sex, accepting their own bodies and owning their space. Since sex and comedy go hand-in-hand, the sex part of it comes to the forefront. However, it just talks about sex without showing anything at all.
What is your character’s relationship to Kanika Kapoor [played by Bhumi Pednekar], the protagonist?
I play one of Kanika’s friends, Tina Das, who guides her through her journey of self-discovery. Tina became a mother at a very young age. But her marriage has fallen apart and now she is struggling with being a single parent. She is trying to live life on her own terms – juggling midlife crises with raising a child, and, at the same time, trying to be a good friend to Kanika.
Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh, Shehnaaz Gill – the film has some of the funniest women on the internet in recent times. What was the atmosphere on the sets like?
Many people think that when women come together, there is always some sort of insecurity and jealousy at work. But we had none of that. Most of my scenes were with Bhoomi and Dolly, and I built a great bond with them. Sometimes, it was gruelling. But the collaborative spirit made everything better.
The dialogues in the film are relatable yet comic. Were they improvised by the cast?
The script did not have a lot of room for improvisation really, because it is a product of three years of labour by Radhika [Anand] and Prashasti [Singh, who is also a standup comedian herself]. It was very tightly knit, fun and very well edited. None of us wanted to deviate from what was written in the script.
The film received a standing ovation in TIFF. Do you feel that a film like this was long overdue?
Of course, but I believe that the Indian film industry is trying. It is just that sometimes when it comes to listening to women’s stories, the interest shrinks. That is something interesting that I have observed – when you see men flashing their dole-shole, and their cars and big houses, everyone claps. But if you change the protagonist to a woman, who is living her life unapologetically, owning her sexuality, wearing nice clothes and living it up – that is, how we usually live life – there is a backlash. We are called cheap and we are trying too hard. But I have to say regardless of how we have packaged the film, it is actually a family watch. “Yeh koi gandi picture nahi hai.”
