Speaking about 'Her', Archana Vasudev said, "As a woman, I see these characters around me—they’re not superficial. The characters in the movie are people I know, including friends and relatives."
Published Dec 03, 2024 | 11:16 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 03, 2024 | 11:16 AM
Archana Vasudev. (Supplied)
The multi-starrer anthology film Her has garnered applause from the audience and critics alike. The film narrates the story of five women from different walks of life living in Thiruvananthapuram.
The movie is directed by Lijin Jose and written by debutant Archana Vasudev.
In an interview with South First, Archana spoke about her experience weaving the five women characters and her learning about script writing.
Here are the edited excerpts:
Q. How did you decide that this is the story that you want to tell?
A. I never planned to write a script for a movie. Director Lijin Jose is my friend, and we had previously collaborated on a documentary about the ace director KG George. During that project, we worked together on the creative side. Then, during the COVID period, we made a short film called Aatmanirbhar, which had no dialogues, and the concept was mine. Lijin told me there was a spark in my script and encouraged me to try writing more.
‘Her’ is Archana Vasudev’s debut movie as writer. (Supplied)
From the beginning, I felt scripting would be a difficult process because I had studied Mass Communication, where Film Studies was a part of the curriculum. When I started teaching, Film Studies was also one of my subjects, and I always felt that writing a script in a proper format was a responsible task.
I was also quite lazy about writing and didn’t give it much importance, even though Lijin had told me that I had the potential to write. While I knew that academically I could write, I wasn’t sure I could do it in the format of a script.
The first story I wrote was about an ant, which became the opening story in Her. It was a short script, and Lijin told me it needed to be more visual. He asked me to work on it further. Eventually, I wrote around eight stories, and five of them, which had a focus on women, were selected by Lijin.
Q. How did you develop the characters of five strong women?
A. There was no conscious decision to give depth to the characters. As a woman, I see these characters around me—they’re not superficial. The characters in Her are people I know, including friends and relatives. I created the narrative structure by bringing them together. My understanding of these characters comes from keen observations of those around me. If the characters feel deep, it’s because they are relatable.
Q. Urvashi’s segment is very interesting. Any inspirations for that story?
Archana Vasudev with Urvashi. (Supplied)
A. This experience is taken straight from my own home, from my parents, and I’ve used it with their permission (laughs). My hometown is Tirur in the Malappuram district, where technology arrived late. My parents are still not very familiar with it, while I’ve had exposure through my studies and work outside Kerala.
As someone who understands technology, I noticed the changes in my house when we got an Amazon Alexa. We are used to seeing possessiveness between people, but the possessiveness between a non-living thing and a person was fascinating to me. It was a revelation, and when Lijin found it interesting, I developed it further.
Q. Can you talk about Ramya Nambeessan’s grey role? Was it intentional?
A. In the other segments, except for Ramya Nambeesan’s episode, we try to showcase women’s struggles and various aspects of their lives. Through Ramya’s character, Reshma, we explore the grey shades of a woman. Human beings aren’t perfect, and some women can be greedy and selfish. In Her, Ramya’s character is selfish and unwilling to admit her mistakes, but she is trying to rectify them.
Q. You have previously worked as a casting director and an actor, but this is your first time writing, how did you find it?
Ramya Nambeessan and Archana Vasudev. (Supplied)
A. In Her, regardless of gender, the issues discussed are often avoided, and people don’t openly discuss them. The ant is a metaphor in the story—representing people who obstruct women.
In the story of Lijo Mol, her character Abhinaya comes from a normal family with a good life. But when the topic of marriage comes up, she realises her to be partner is being prioritised over her.
The new vehicle her father buys is given to her fiancé. Abhinaya is not outspoken, but in this case, she reacts, this shows that even those who aren’t bold can have their own stand. There’s no right or wrong in this. People don’t always express everything outwardly; much is kept deep inside. Her highlights the things that women often brush under the carpet.
Q. Do you think women-oriented films have to be written by women? Also, how was it working with Lijin Jose?
A. A female writer and a male director is a rare combination, as seen in Her. The movie’s acceptance will decide if this collaboration has worked. While writing the script, I only thought as a woman.
However, it’s always beneficial to have a male perspective during development, as it helps strengthen the story. From my experience, I’ve found this to be a positive thing. Sometimes, there’s a natural feeling of bias, but for universal acceptance, input from others and equal contribution are important. I’ve always had a good experience working with Lijin.
Q. What were the challenges you faced while writing Her?
Lijo Mol, and Archana Vasudev share a lighter moment. (Supplied)
A. The main challenge was finishing the script. Most screenplay writers have a writing background, but I don’t. I know how hard it is to break into the film industry. Lijin saw that I had the spark to write a story, and that responsibility became my biggest challenge. I was also handling other tasks, so making corrections and changes to the script was a tedious process for me.
Q. How was it working with the actors in the movie?
A. Working with the five actors was a great experience, as all of them supported Her. We didn’t face much difficulty convincing any of them. When writing the story of the older couple, I specifically wanted Urvashi Ma’am and Pratap Pothen sir for the roles.
My experience with Urvashi Ma’am was excellent. Narrating the story to her was a wonderful experience, as she suggested some changes. It wasn’t that she demanded changes, but she would ask if something could be done differently. She is a veteran actor with great humility.
After hearing the story, Parvathy was eager to take the role, and working with her was also a great experience.
Aishwarya Rajesh was a friend and she agreed to do the movie despite her busy schedule in other industries.
Ramya took on the role because she found it challenging. Lijo Mol became a close friend quickly and constantly asked how she could improve her character.
Q. Bold themes are getting more acceptability in Malayalam. How do you see this?
A. We use art to convey our ideas, and visual media is a key tool for highlighting art and reaching a large audience through films. It’s great that bold themes are being showcased in films and short films, and openly discussed in interviews and other segments. This is a significant change, and there is growing acceptance, which we must embrace. However, we are still conditioned by societal norms.
Q. What are your future projects?
A. There’s no rush for new projects. Writing is a slow process for me, and I’m currently waiting for feedback on Her. After gaining experience in writing, I’m now serious about writing scripts, but it will take some time to materialize.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
