Kahaani: Advaita Kala says she had to tell Vidya's story right

New Delhi: She turned scriptwriter with Ranbir Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer Anjaana-Anjaani and now Almost Single author Advaita Kala is looking forward to her next film Kahaani which will see Vidya Balan playing the central protagonist. Kala promises that Kahaani, being directed by Sujoy Ghosh of Aladin fame, will see a completely new avatar of Vidya, who is known for her performance oriented roles in films like Pareenita, Paa and Ishqiya. In an interview with IBNLive, Kala said since she is known for strong female narrations, she faced the challenge of telling the story of Vidya right.

IBNLive: 'Kahaani' seems a classic blend of multiple talents.

Advaita: I am not sure. And thankful for calling me so. Not sure about the audiences's response. I always want to entertain them.

Advaita Kala

IBNLive: How and when did the idea of plotting a story like Kahaani come to your mind? And how easy or difficult for you to actually start working on it?

Advaita: It was difficult. It was challenging as I had to do a lot of research on the subject. I went back to Kolkata, refreshed elements, went back to my own experiences to get the real picture of the city which is shown in the movie.

Since I am known for strong female narrations, I faced the challenge of telling it right.

IBNLive: After your novel 'Almost Single', it's now Kahaani which is another women-centric piece of work. What inspires you to work on such subjects?

Advaita: Being a woman, I feel like working on such subjects. I want to show a clear picture of an urban woman who is mis-representated in our society. Be it a novel or a movie, I believe in showing the real picture of such a woman. Also I enjoy doing it.

IBNLive: What challenges did you face while writing your first novel?

Advaita: It was a big challenge. I wasn't sure of how well would it do. It was like having question mark one after the other, from writing to publishing and then the response of the readers. I had never thought of bringing it as a novel. It just happened with time.

Since I was writing for the first time so I had a kind of freedom where I could write anything for anyone. There was a kind of joy that I went through while writing.

IBNLive: You started writing on a female-oriented subject and introduced 'Aisha Bhatia'. In Kahaani, the story again revolves around a character named 'Bidya Bagchi'. Are we expecting male-centric scripts from you in near future?

Advaita: (Laughs) Well I would say "never say no".

IBNLive: Viewers look for something new every time a movie is released. What kind of uniqueness you focus on while working on your various projects?

Advaita: It's actually an internal process in which I feel I should be satisfied by my own work , so that my audience is able to accept it and feel satisfied.

IBNLive: Which was a better experience, writing 'Almost Single' or 'Kahaani'?

Advaita: (Laughs) Well my best experience has been with the movie 'Anjaana Anjaani'. Because I went through a lot of learning while I was working on it. Sidhhartha Anand, who is like a big brother to me got me involved in every phase of it, meeting with the designers, shooting, sound recording and everything. I enjoyed a lot during this.

IBNLive: Do you care about the target audiences?

Advaita: No. All these things are beyond control as to who will like what. You never know. I just enjoy the process.

IBNLive: Tell us something about your forthcoming projects.

Advaita: Along with some fictions, I am engaged in 'Almost Single' series.

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