Kanika Dhillon: ‘As a producer, big screen is the dream now’

Kanika Dhillon

Kanika Dhillon has a new dream. After establishing a wide audience base with the Haseen Dillruba franchise and Do Patti (2024) on OTT, the writer-producer is big-screen bound. "My next after Gandhari will be a theatrical offering. As a writer, I have done big-screen films like Kedarnath [2018] and Dunki [2023]; now, as a producer, the big screen is the dream," Dhillon reveals.

Taapsee Pannu (in black) fronts Kanika Dhillon's Gandhari

So, what's her next all about? She remains tight-lipped about the details, only saying, "The story will be drama pro max." But before she sets foot in the world of drama, another genre has her undivided attention - action. Gandhari, which marks the writer-producer's reunion with her frequent collaborator Taapsee Pannu, is currently being shot. Devashish Makhija's directorial venture revolves around Pannu's protagonist, a mother who is out to rescue her child. Dhillon is evidently excited about foraying into the action genre, as she says, "I love action films. Taapsee, at one point, was keen to do action. Our stars usually align. When you start something new, you need someone to take that leap of faith with you." In Pannu, she has found a collaborator who, like her, goes all out when telling a story. "Taapsee refuses to use a stunt double. In one moment, I see her pulling off a stunt and we are all clapping, and then I wonder, ‘Has she landed well?' We are so much in awe of the leaps she takes," Dhillon shares.

The writer-producer recalls that when Gandhari was announced last year, the industry was "curious" about how Pannu and she would tackle the genre that is believed to be a male domain. Over her 18-year journey, Dhillon says she has battled many such perceptions steeped in sexism. "First, they used to say pulp doesn't work; then they said women don't write pulp. Today I am called for panels and they say, ‘You have created an only-pulp franchise.' Before I get a thumbs up, I always have to cross a ‘No'," she says, adding that gender stereotypes in the industry aren't only restricted to what women write, but also extend to their appearance. "Initially, I used to hear remarks like, ‘Have you come to audition?' But I decided that I won't hide behind mota chashma and kurta, or any stereotype of how a writer should be. So, I started dressing up. I was furious with that condescending judgment."