Queen of humour: a candid interview with award winning writer and film maker Sai Paranjpye

Abstract

In the 80s, at a time when there were hardly any women filmmakers in the Indian film industry, one woman made a trendsetting impact. A woman who had published her first book of fairy tales at the age of 8,won the Asian Broadcasting Union Award in Iran for her first made-for-TV movie, ‘The Little Tea Shop,’and won three national awardsfor  her first feature film ‘Sparsh’. She is SaiParanjpye— a woman of steely determination, a woman of sparkling wit and humour. Moving from writing to theatre, television to films, and back-and-forth, Sai Paranjpye has straddled many mediums with aplomb. While her children’s stories have enthralled generations of young people, her TV serials have become household names and her films have wooed audiences and critics in India and abroad. She has won several State, National and International Awards for her books and films,including the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2006, conferred by the President of India. In this candid interview, Sai Paranjpye reveals her life journey, both personal and professional, to filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan, her one-time assistant director and long-time friend. We get to know her —up, close and personal — and learn where she draws her inspiration from, how she weaves it into her writings and films, and, most importantly, where her trademark humour comes from.