Khushboo Ranka has experience in the fields of journalism, graphic design, and filmmaking. “Continuum,” a short film she wrote and directed at the age of 20, won the best short film at the Hannover Film Festival. She co-wrote the internationally acclaimed fiction feature film “Ship of Theseus.”
“An Insignificant Man” will premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 8.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
KR: The film is a non-fiction political thriller about protesters trying to break into the biggest democracy in the world. Our protagonist, Arvind Kejriwal, and his Common Man’s Party try to make their radical politics mainstream by talking about issues like crony capitalism and graft to show how inequality is engineered. As the film closes with elections, it also becomes a meditation on the dichotomy of idealism versus politics.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
KR: The idea that common people need to enter politics has great currency all over the world. In this case the story was unfolding right in front of my eyes in a way that was unprecedented. Also, we got unbelievable access to document a democracy procedural unlike any Indian film had done till then.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
KR: I want people to leave with the feeling that politics is not some distant machination but something that is tangible and in our hands. I want them to identify with the complexities of being a democracy, but also to engage empirically with the ideas embedded in the film.
There are interesting questions about ways of being a democracy. There are people who are individualistic, and yet they become a pattern as a collective. There are questions about the feasibility of participatory democracy — is it just noise, or can it move towards real consensus? Is it ethically enough to be only an idealist? I hope people will talk about these things and start interesting conversations. We are already seeing this with our screenings.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
KR: The biggest challenge for us was complete lack of institutional support and infrastructure in India. It is nearly impossible to make a political film here. We have had organizations and individuals that have withdrawn support, and others that relegated us to the backseat. This is especially difficult given the support the film has received outside India.
Here, it is imperative that I mention that we had a huge success crowdfunding for the film in India where we raised 600 percent of our total ask. This collective solidarity was even more subversive when one puts it in the context of institutional alienation.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
KR: A large part [of our budget] was from crowdfunding. We have also been lucky to get support from prestigious funding bodies across the world like Sundance, Britdoc, Idfa Bertha, and Busan AND Fund. These organizations also helped us with resources and mentorship.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at LFF?
KR: It is incredible. LFF is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Our film is already sold out before the festival has even begun. It will sink in a little bit better after the audiences have seen and reacted to the film.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
KR: The best advice I received was actually something I read by Tina Fey: “When faced with sexism, or ageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: ‘Is this person in between me and what I want to do?’ If the answer is no, ignore it and move on.” I really adore her.
The worst advice which I repeatedly received was to not make this film because “these guys are finished.”
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
KR: I think one thing that women should be conscious of is that they will need to cultivate very thick skin. It’s like when you see the pain coming and weather yourself for it. It is an excruciatingly painful process, making sure you are heard, included in conversations, given credit, standing up for yourself, etc. There is humiliation in trying too hard. You want to give up very often. But persist till chafed flesh becomes callus. And make sure that you in turn incubate female talent. There were at least 50 percent women on our crew doing camera and sound. They were fucking fantastic. This was not done intentionally, but I guess not being prejudiced helps.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
KR: I love Miranda July, and I madly loved “Me and You and Everyone We Know.” It is absurd and delicate, and such great craftsmanship. I love her art projects and short stories, too. She is a prolific genius.
W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?
KR: Yes, definitely. I think a lot more sensitization is required. We need to recognize women as role models, artists, and intellectuals. We need better female characters. This is already happening to some extent, driven by young women speaking up, and I think it will grow exponentially. Hopefully we will reach a point where we only have to say “filmmakers” instead of “women filmmakers” and still be inclusive.
In a science fiction magazine, I read that when you imagine the future one invariably thinks of technology, but a lot of the future is about society becoming more equitable, considering all exceptions. People are already choosing gender-neutral upbringing for their children, and young men and women are rejecting gender as a social construct. I think it’s a great exercise to imagine such futures.
