Onlookers Interview: In Conversation with Vidhu Vincent

‘Stand Up’ starring Nimisha Sajayan and Rajisha Vijayan in the leads is gearing up for release. It is directed by Vidhu Vincent, who is the only woman to win a Kerala State award for best director. So we caught up with Vidhu for a casual chat about her sophomore film and her expectations on it.

It has been three years since you won the State Award for ‘Manhole’. What is the reason for this three-year long break?

This project was originally supposes to be begin in 2018. But due to the unprecedented floods that rocked the state, our producer got caught in financial issues and he had to back out. After that, it was a period of struggle. We met several producers and discussed about the project but could not find a producer. These three years were very stressful in that sense.

So being an award-winning filmmaker, you did not have any sort of a privilege?

Definitely, there was privilege. I didn’t have to introduce myself to anyone. Actor Vijay Babu was initially supposed to do a role in our film. So when I was about to send the script and brief him about the character, he declined it as he had complete trust on me. Likewise, I got full support from my present producers, B Unnikrishnan and Anto Joseph. So, all these are the result of a privilege that I got from winning the award.

Talking about the struggle you endured to find a producer, do you think all the women in Malayalam industry face this?

Yes, I believe so. If you’re a woman, there is always an extra effort required to convince someone that you can pull this off. In my case, my father produced my first film. So he knew I have the ability to do it. But that’s not the case with other investors. Because, they will always be apprehensive that I might back out due to personal reasons. But before judging someone, an opportunity is very essential regardless of it being a man or a woman.