Optional or essential? Does having female ADs in a film team make a difference?
When Dragon director
Ashwath Marimuthu
shared the list of assistant directors he had roped in for his upcoming films, it sparked a debate, as the list had no names of women. He quickly cleared the air that merit — not gender — guided his choices.
But then the question is, is every director's room supposed to have at least one female AD? Until Chithha , SU
Arun Kumar
's direction team was an all male crew. However, he felt it was essential to have women ADs when he began to work on Chithha 's script. 'But I don't hire someone just because they are a woman,' asserts Arun. He ropes in ADs based on their interest, talent, and the rapport they share.
'A FEMALE AD IN THE TEAM REPRESENTS THE PERSPECTIVE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE'
'Building a safer space is our duty,' Arun explains.
'My entire film was shot at night, but all of my female ADs felt safe enough,' he shares. A practice that directors adopt to ensure women feel comfortable is to have more women on the sets. When Arun decided to hire female ADs, he wanted two of them so that they would have company. Halitha Shameem shares that having a female AD brings in an added perspective to discussions.
'When a woman speaks up, not all directors understand that 'she' represents the perspective of a lot of people.
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That said, the common belief that just because there is a female in a team, they will point out the political correctness is not entirely right. Even women can be politically wrong. Irrespective of gender, it's all about how much we unlearn and evolve.'
'SUCCESS OF FEMALE DIRECTORS MATTERS'
Following this controversy, Aarti Sivakumar, who has been juggling different hats in the industry for 25 years, has launched an email initiative for women aspiring to get into cinema.
In the past 25 years, the big change women have is accessibility, she says. 'We are still crawling, but the crawling is on a little stronger feet. And when we have an even higher success rate from female directors, we are going to make a difference.
'
'THE STRUGGLE IS UNIVERSAL FOR WOMEN IN FILMS'
Sruthi, who worked as an assistant director in Thangalaan (her first film as an AD), points out, 'My efforts would be recognised by most of the crew only if I put in double the effort as a male AD.
Since I work in mainstream films, my physical strength is equally important. I have read interviews of many female directors in foreign countries and I have come to realise that these struggles are universal.'
'CONTRIBUTION & CONFIDENCE CAN CONVINCE YOUR TEAM'
Director Madhumita of KD fame recalls that it took three to four days for the unit to listen to her when she made her directorial debut with Vallamai Tharayo in 2008. 'I was the captain of the ship, but it took me four days to convince them that I knew what I was doing. When women in my team face the same today, I tell them to just do what they are meant to do on set — to contribute — and stay confident.' Meanwhile, Sruthi shares that people constantly ask if she'd stop working after marriage.
'This is not something male ADs would face,' she states.
Written By:
Harshini SV
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