"Ajay was part of the film right from the birth of the idea. His presence is not a gimmick. We are not trying to use Ajay's name for our film. The film has a strong content and we want people to watch the film for its story. Ajay is just supporting us," Leena told PTI.
Usually with the presence of a known face for a film the makers are able to create more buzz about the project.
For Leena the trouble while making "Parched" was getting finances in place.
"Getting money was a blessing in disguise for this film. We are grateful to get people to back our story. Also I had actresses who are fantastic and talented but not stars. It's a irony that people believe in stars," she added.
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Set in a village in Rajasthan "Parched" is the story of three women Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee), Lajjo (Radhika Apte) and Bijli (Surveen Chawla) who take bold steps to change the trajectory of their lives for the better.
"We think problems are happening in the villages, the West thinks it is happening in the East but the fact is that these stories about women facing oppression are everywhere."
Leena reveals she did not face much difficulty while finalising the cast for "Parched".
"I choose people who fit the role and there is no dearth of talent in our country. I had some trouble casting for Surveen Chawla's role. I have managed to get the most committed and brave actors," she added.
is much more than just that particular scene. I don't want to encourage any conversation about this. We need to rise above all this small mindness thing."
Set to release on 23 September, "Parched" features Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla, Adil Hussain and Sayani Gupta among others.
"We have got good response at various film festivals. We are quite excited to show the film in India," Leena said.