Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, known for her acclaimed work on films like ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ and ‘Panga’, asserted her commitment to telling authentic stories about middle India, emphasizing themes of aspiration and human connection. Speaking on the sidelines of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Tiwari revealed that her journey into direction was unplanned, sparked solely by the compelling narrative of her debut, ‘Nil Battey Sannata’.
Tiwari, who was previously an art director and writer in advertising, explained that she initially had no intention of directing. Her decision was driven by the story of ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ (2015), which chronicles a single mother’s efforts to ensure her daughter’s education. The film, which starred Swara Bhasker and Pankaj Tripathi, was part of the work-in-progress lab at Film Bazaar in 2013 and is a story deeply personal to the filmmaker.
“It’s almost a reflection of me and my mother and how she felt that no dream is impossible. I wanted to talk about how people from middle India or any class can make their dream come true, and that’s what all my stories have said,” Tiwari told PTI.
She credits producers Ajay Rai and Alan McAlex for coaxing her to take the directorial mantle for her debut film, which she calls one of her “most precious experiments.” That initial success paved the way for other successful films like ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ and ‘Panga’.
Tiwari voiced her frustration with the industry’s tendency to categorize films rigidly as commercial or independent cinema.
- Blurred Lines: “I’m a storyteller, I wanted to tell a story and say it in a certain way,” she said. She highlighted that a film like ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ is often dubbed ‘middle cinema’ but was commercially successful due to its strong storyline.
- Beyond Boxes: “How would you put boxes to stories, I would not know. We should stop coining these words and just keep stories the way they are. The story takes its own shape and journey outside,” she added, suggesting that budget and positioning determine a film’s label, not its core narrative.
The director stressed the importance of film festivals, noting that they “help you open up your mind, you meet different people, see different kinds of stories, it’s a great place to network.”
Looking ahead, Tiwari confirmed she is working on multiple projects, including a love story, a social drama, and a series for a major OTT platform. She emphasized the need to understand “new age India” and to ensure her stories “inspire, aspire,” advising filmmakers to follow their convictions rather than the crowd.
Key Highlights:
- Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari revealed that her directorial career was unplanned, born out of the personal inspiration behind her debut film, ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ (2015), which reflects her mother’s belief that no dream is impossible.
- Tiwari aims to focus on authentic, aspirational stories from middle India, emphasizing that her films are about people from any class achieving their dreams.
- She criticized the industry’s rigid labeling of films as commercial or independent, arguing that a strong storyline dictates a film’s success regardless of its budget or genre box.
- The director confirmed she is currently developing a love story, a social drama, and a series for an OTT platform, stressing the importance of telling stories that resonate with “new age India.”