For writer-filmmaker Tahira Kashyap, a feature film is on the cards, but she might not approach her husband Ayushmann Khurrana to star in it as she feels he is her ‘senior’ in the industry and she needs to reach a certain position where she ‘deserve(s) to direct him’. She is also unsure about what their on-set dynamic will be like.
Tahira made her directorial debut in 2018 with the short film Toffee, which revolves around two girls who defy their class difference to form a close friendship. She followed it up with Pinni, starring Neena Gupta, which was a part of the anthology Zindagi inShort.
In an interview with The Times of India, Tahira said that she wants to direct a full-fledged feature film and even has a few scripts ready. “I am taking baby steps. I am slowly and gradually moving towards that direction. My films, ‘Toffee’ and ‘Pinni’ received a lot of love. I have written a couple of feature films. The intention is to make a feature film. Because of this lockdown, now there is a pause button on everybody’s lives. I don’t know what the future holds but the dreams and aspirations are certainly there,” she said.
When asked if she would like to direct Ayushmann, Tahira said, “I would really love to work with him from the perspective of directing a wonderful artist. He has grown tremendously as an artist. But at the same time, he is senior to me when it comes to working. So I need to earn myself a couple of films or a position where I deserve to direct him.”
Tahira said that she was also unsure of what their on-set equation will be like, as they are husband and wife. “I am also fretting because I don’t know how it would be because we are husband and wife too. So I don’t know how the situation will be like- will there be fireworks on the set or we would be able to maintain the absolute director-actor decorum. That is something we would get to know,” she said.
Currently, Tahira is isolating with Ayushmann and their two children, Virajveer and Varushka. She has started a series called The Lockdown Tales — short stories written and narrated by her. Each story depicts emotions and moments from the everyday lives of people and how they are affected by the lockdown.
