Sayani Gupta’s first film as a writer-director has run into controversy even before its festival screening.
According to The Hollywood Reporter India, the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ) has withdrawn its invitation to screen Aasmani, citing alleged concerns related to “copyright and confidentiality.”
The decision comes after a fellow filmmaker from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) raised a grievance over the short film.
Sayani Gupta Issues A Statement
Sayani Gupta said she had deliberately stayed away from making public statements while the matter was being dealt with through the appropriate process.
Explaining her decision to speak now, she said, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, “I want to begin by clearly stating that Aasmani is an original film. Till now, I chose not to speak. Not because silence meant acceptance, nor because I had nothing to say. Since the allegation was put forth before the appropriate authority, I followed due process and believed that facts should be placed there, and not tried through WhatsApp groups, inboxes or public opinion. But silence can sometimes bury the truth under noise.”
The actor-turned-filmmaker also spoke at length about the origins of Aasmani.
“I was born and raised in Bengal, in a world surrounded by stories, folklore, literature, philosophy and humour; long before I knew I would someday direct a film. My grandmother, a philosopher, had a seminal influence in shaping my world view. Her loss had a profound effect on me. I was raised by women who constantly challenged me and spoke to me about ideology, integrity and independence. The core idea of Aasmani comes from this world, these women, and is a homage to the indomitable women whose shoulders I stand on today, and the values they instilled in me.”
She continued, “It became a story about a witty grandmother and her cheeky granddaughter, and Aasmani, their often observant powder-blue car. It is a story-book world about generations of women; exchange of value systems; memory and attachment; and about love and loss. Aasmani is my first film as a writer and director. But it is not the first film I dreamt of making. It is simply the first one I happened to make.”
‘Film’s Script Developed Over Several Years’
Sayani Gupta said the screenplay was not created recently for the project but had taken shape over a considerable period before being developed into the final short film.
“A fellow FTII filmmaker has raised a concern. She has every right to raise a grievance. And I have respectfully held my truth. The claim has been made based on assumptions, without watching my short-fiction comedy film. And I had no idea about her ‘unfinished’ documentary project. There is a difference between an allegation and a finding. Aasmani came from its own world, its own journey. And without any knowledge of any other film in development. To see that distinction collapse into a public narrative of ‘copyright infringement’ is not only misleading, it is deeply unfair to the film and to everyone who has tirelessly worked on it. What has been troubling to watch is this become a copyright issue when it absolutely isn’t one.”
Sayani Gupta Explains Similarities
At the centre of the dispute are similarities that Sayani Gupta says exist only at the level of broad themes and ideas.
“Two films can share a broad idea, theme, a woman, a car, aging, independence, and exist independently, without one being copied from the other. Copyright protects expression, not every shared idea or emotion. Ironically, this one experience has taught me more about copyright, than in the last 15 years. I am not a large studio or an institution standing across from an independent filmmaker. I am an independent filmmaker myself. The seed of which was sown at my alma-mater, FTII. It is because of this spirit we are able to make films against all odds. And exactly the reason I have spent the better part of the last 15 years creating, collaborating, and championing independent films, always choosing story and intent over fame or money.”
Sayani Gupta added, “My film is about freedom. And I believe freedom is the only thing worth fighting for. Freedom also means having empathy, holding space for another person’s point of view. And everyone has the freedom to think, question, support, disagree, distinguish, and eventually decide for themselves without being instructed by the noise. There is a difference between speaking loudly and speaking the truth. The rest belongs to facts, process and time.”
About The Film
Aasmani is Sayani Gupta’s first official filmmaking venture and has been written, directed, and co-produced by her under her maiden production banner, Sayani Gupta Movies (SGM).
The short features veteran actor Revathy in the lead, with Daria Bedi and Abhay Kaul also part of the cast.
