Zoya Akhtar: “Gully Boy Is My First Film Where I Got A Yes From All Actors In The First Go”

Zoya AKhtar is known for drawing out compelling characters in her films right from her debut. Be it Luck By Chance or the films that followed like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Bombay Talkies, Dil Dhadakne Do or most recently the much loved Gully Boy featuring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh have all bought out some very strong and unconventional characters!

However speaking during a master class at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Zoya spoke about how grey characters are becoming more acceptable in the Indian Cinema and in the eyes of the audiences! She further said, “It took me seven years to make my first film (Luck By Chance) and six actors said no to it. That film couldn’t be made on the budget with a certain leading man. Back then, there were no grey areas. Some were clear that they didn’t want to play a morally ambivalent part and others didn’t get it either. I have moved on from this notion that I can only cast one certain actor in a role. Gully Boy is my first film where I got a yes from all my actors in the first go. I’m here to make films so now I’m not latched onto this association that I wrote this role for a particular actor.”

Meanwhile, the writer-director has begun shooting for her second Netflix project titled Ghost Stories, which features Jhanvi Kapoor in the lead. Zoya’s Made In Heaven, that streams on Amazon Prime will soon go on floors for its second season!

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