Day 2: Sunday, 23 November
Venue: St Paul’s Institute of Communication Education
Ensuring Identity Bhavna Talwar, Ishika Motwane and Divya Dutta interviewed by Sarita Vijayan
By Cheryl Athaide Dharm (2007), Bhavna Talwar’s award-winning film on communal harmony, was the entry point into an intense discussion that followed the screening of the film at St. Pauls Institute of Communication Education.The conversation between Sarita Vijayan and photographer Ishika Motwane, actress Divya Dutta and Talwar was defined by the three women’s passion for excellence. Talking about her film-making, Talwar said she was motivated not by box-office collections but by the assurance that there was an audience for good cinema rather than the formulaic potboilers. Ishika Motwane, a still photographer, talked about her dual passion for photography and films: ‘I love being on the sets, I love the making of a film and I love shooting stills.Award-winning actress Divya Dutta had the crowd cheering when she talked about how she built her identity in the Hindi film industry. She spoke about the protected background she came from, the obstacles that came her way and the dedication and will-power it took to get to where she is today. “When I came in here, nobody was ready to back me. I’m glad I am at this point today because of my efforts,” she declared.One other point all three women agreed on was the importance of not getting trapped in an image created by others and being themselves on both the personal and professional levels. Talwar summed it up when she said: “I can’t define myself. My work does not define me. I want to be limitless.
