Women filmmakers capable of making hardcore films: Aparna Sen

Veteran actress-director Aparna Sen feels women filmmakers are equally talented to make hardcore films like action and war, as their male counterparts.
Aparna, 67, is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards. She is the jury chairperson of Ladakh International film festival this year.
"There is a perception that women filmmakers are capable of making women centric and delicate and emotional kind of films. People feel we can't handle war, adventure or any hardcore films. I am looked as someone making feminist films but I am not," said Aparna, who has helmed films like "36 Chowringhee Lane", "Mr and Mrs Iyer", "15 Park Avenue" among others.

"Being a women filmmaker does not mean I will only glorify women, rather I have shown a corrupt girl in one of my films. I have faced this discrimination in this space," Aparna said at a discussion on the topic of 'Role of women in films'.
Besides her, the other panelists were Canadian director Teri McLuhan, Ladakhi filmmaker Dechan Phyang, French filmmaker Christiane Mordelet and others.
Teri, whose documentary film 'The Frontier Gandhi' was screened at the festival, says she has made three films, all of them on men and has so far not faced much difficulties.

"I have not faced this discrimination as I made decision to use my strength in areas like writing, directing, producing so the power, position is in my hand. We have to be prepared for challenges," she said.

Aparna also said that women filmmakers have to constantly juggle between their personal and professional life, which at times may affect their creative work.
"For women, film work is not the only thing they have to look after, the family and other responsibilities also come with it. It is just that we handle both things," Aparna said.