For someone who considers herself an "accidental and reluctant actor", Konkona Sen Sharma is one of the most unique voices in the industry.
A child who grew up on sets and fell into filmmaking as a result of her mother, actor and director Aparna Sen, the actor's filmography is a testament to her craft; groundbreaking, nuanced and challenging conventional norms.
Even off camera, Konkona does not shy away from calling out the inequalities and realities of the Indian film industry. In a conversation with The Quint for an episode of Tell Me All, the actor weighed in on the eight-hour working shift debate, urged male actors to challenge systemic pay disparity, emphasised the need for better provisions for women on set, and more.
Reflecting on her over 20 years in the industry, Konkona observed that although there are more women present on film sets now, it remains insufficient.
The industry wants to pat themselves on the back for 2% when the standard required should be 50%. That delta needs to be bridged.Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona feels that women not only need more positions of power, but also need to be better provided for. She noted how often, things as basic as bathrooms and transport to shoots are barriers to more women being on sets, saying, "there are fewer women in camera departments, gaffers, etc. We must make sure that there is adequate infrastructure"
Further speaking on female representation in the industry and as a writer and director herself, Konkona also mentioned that just because there aren't enough women filmmakers, "It is not incumbent upon women to tell only women’s stories. Women should not be confined in any way. They should tell the stories they want to tell."
"It’s also not true that just because you’re a female filmmaker you’re going to speak truth to power or be very progressive. There are many women who are upholders of patriarchy. I have also been privileged to come across many sensitive and intelligent men."
When I directed my film A Death In The Gunj, people questioned me saying your ‘protagonist is a guy, why aren’t you telling a woman’s story?’ And I was like but why are you telling a woman what to do?Konkon Sen Sharma
When asked about other changes she hoped to see in the industry, Konkona called for a serious change to pay disparity, explaining that currently, "budgets of films are not decided depending upon the story. If you have a big male star, the expectation is that many people will come to see him and therefore you can have a bigger budget. That doesn’t make sense to me."
One doesn’t have any control because it’s a systemic issue. It would be great if male actors really questioned it.Konkona Sen Sharma
The actor also weighed in on the eight-hour work shift debate, saying "Other countries have enforced a four day work week and apparently productivity has increased. It’s not just working mothers who need better working hours, but technicians, who are the first to arrive and the last to leave."
She expressed the need for unions in an industry where "some production houses ensure that by keeping certain kinds of shift, they don't have to provide dinner"
Unions are a great thing, everything should be unionised.Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona feels that in an industry that is still hierarchically divided by caste, class and gender, despite marginal improvement she says, "We have to question ourselves, are we listening to the people who make the most noise?"
Watch the full interview on The Quint.