Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor's Chandigarth Kare Aashiqui starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor released to good reviews this Friday. The story about a Punjabi munda who's also a gym freak falling for a trans woman is rather unconventional for Bollywood. When the trailer of the film dropped and conversations around the theme of the film began, there were several questions raised as to why the makers didn't choose to cast a trans woman in the role of Maanvi played by Vaani.
Recently in an interview to The Indian Express, director Kapoor spoke about the casting process of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. He said that the team did think about casting a trans woman in the role.
“We went through many avenues and there was a thought about casting a trans person but you know I find everyone is so fascinated just by actors. Why is it that everything is legitimised by an actor? Why can’t a trans person write the film? Why can’t a trans person direct the film? First of all, this fascination is incorrect. Films are not made by actors, they are made by filmmakers and writers."Abhishek Kapoor, Director 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui'
"Eventually, there is a representation by an individual actor but I try to see above this because there is a story to be told. You have to reach out to people at large by taking the story to them and I thought this is the best way to take this story there. When you talk to someone, you have to talk to them in their language,” is what Kapoor had to add.
The filmmaker also said that he met a lot of transgender people during the writing stage of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. Kapoor said that this was not a film that he wrote and made overnight, but took several years to think about and reach the version of a draft script that he was happy with.
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