While Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar’s The Sky Is Pink is based on the brief life of Aisha Chaudhary who was born with an immune deficiency disorder and later diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the film is also an ode to the love story between her parents Aditi and Niren. Ahead of its release, the makers have given us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of the film.
In the video, director Shonali Bose introduces us to the two characters and how they got their odd nicknames – Moose and Panda. “I could never have come up with such interesting names. Moose for me was a very inspiring character to write. Moose are the most gentle creatures but Aditi Chaudhary is a tigress! I think she (Aisha) calls her father Panda because Niren was black belt and an expert in Kung Fu skills. Panda to me is this real gentle and sweet. He gives the big hugs, and the big love and the big support – such a close relationship with his daughter and son,” she explains.
Priyanka and Farhan’s easy chemistry can be seen in the fun outtakes. Farhan dramatically narrates how PC almost pulled out a chunk of his hair in a scene where she had to jump into his arms during the filming of the song ‘Dil Toh Hai’.
In an interview with Variety, Shonali had said that it was Aditi and Niren Chaudhary’s relationship that inspired her to make The Sky Is Pink. “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 said.
The Sky Is Pink releases in theatres on 11 October.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)