It was intimidating directing Farhan, says Shonali Bose

Mumbai-based filmmaker Shonali Bose's third directorial venture, "The Sky Is Pink", starring Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim, is set to premiere at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday.

In an exclusive interview, the director, whose first two films, "Amu" and "Margarita With a Straw", also screened in TIFF, spoke about the experience of working with two major Bollywood stars in a restrained, sensitive true story about the loss of a teenage child and the impact of the tragedy on her parents.

"It was initially a bit intimidating to work with Farhan and Priyanka," says Bose. "For one, Farhan is a director I personally admire. Moreover, he is someone who has directed Priyanka in a film. I felt conscious, but the two actors surrendered completely and trusted me. That made my job easy."
"This narrative device came to us at the stage of the first draft itself," says Bose, who conducted a workshop to get Priyanka ready for the role of the mother. "She is a very hard-working actress and gave the role her all."