Loss of My Son & Marriage Drew Me to The Sky Is Pink: Shonali Bose

The film is based on the short life of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary.

Shonali Bose and Priyanka Chopra at the wrap party for The Sky Is Pink; A poster for the film.

(Photo Courtesy: IANS; RSVP Movies)

Shonali Bose, director of The Sky Is Pink, has said that she drew on her own experiences of losing her son and then her marriage while bringing the film to life. The Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar-starrer is based on the short life of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary who was born with an immune deficiency disorder and later diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.

In an interview with Variety at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film will premiere on 13 September, Shonali said that she had no idea about Aisha’s story until she met her parents in Los Angeles. Aisha had watched the trailer to her 2015 film Margarita With a Straw and told her parents that she hoped she would “live to see it” but passed away two weeks later. The Chaudharys watched the film, which explores themes of disability and sexuality, when it released and decided to track down Shonali when they saw it was dedicated to her late son Ishan. She said,

“She (Aisha’s mother Aditi Chaudhary) burst out saying, ‘I’ve lost my child and I want only one filmmaker in the world to tell her story because I loved your film, it was her (Aisha) dying wish to see your film, and you’ve lost a child.’”

Shonali Bose, Director

“For me as a filmmaker, I was drawn to it precisely for that reason. I wanted to explore the couple’s relationship. I wanted to explore what happens to a marriage when faced with the loss of a child. My own marriage ended when I lost my son. I was fascinated by the fact that this couple had made it,” she added.