Films don’t create revolutions or tangible impact: Nandita Das

Some films are made to tell audiences about the invisible, ordinary people around us—their struggles, pains, fears, and triumphs. Nandita Das, often known as a “thinking” actor, is also a producer, director, and social activist with a knack for making such movies. 

She previously directed Firaq on communal tensions and Manto on the life and times of celebrated yet controversial writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Now, she brings Zwigato, a film about delivery boys, their families, and how they are treated by society—three films on vastly diverse themes.

These films have been well received by critics and audiences who appreciate serious cinema, garnering praise, awards, and citations at global film festivals. Although Zwigato released in Indian cinemas with little fanfare due to a lack of publicity, it has resonated with audiences internationally.

Zwigato is an immersive film. It highlights issues of unemployment, the demands of an ever-expanding gig economy, the helplessness of a patient wife, children’s often unrealistic expectations, communal tensions, and how minorities are often marginalised. The film is fragmented into parts, each exploring themes of hope and despair. It’s not just about the gig economy; it also addresses how society has normalised class, caste, religion, and gender disparities. These aspects subtly weave together in the characters’ world, capturing the lives of the ‘ordinary’ people.

The protagonist, played by popular comedian Kapil Sharma, is a delivery boy for Zwigato, a restaurant aggregator and food delivery company. Known for his vibrant energy on comedy shows, Sharma impresses with his portrayal of an exhausted delivery worker who, despite his gruelling hours, remains calm. He speaks with a subtle Bihari accent and embodies the role of a delivery man searching for a government job while deeply in love with his beautiful wife, caring for his children, and supporting an ailing mother.

The audience travels alongside him on his bike as he delivers orders across the city. Shahana Goswami, who plays his wife, is a standout in Das’ cast for all the right reasons. Her expressive eyes leave a lasting impression, adding light to an otherwise sombre film that explores real-life traumas of the ordinary people around us.

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Zwigato was released on Amazon Prime last month on October 25. Das was at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival as the Jury President for the first time when the film premiered on OTT. “I celebrated the release of Zwigato on OTT with my son!” she shares.

Messages kept pouring in from back home. “I got so many messages on WhatsApp, emails, and social media that warmed my heart. People are finally watching it and are being moved by it. What more can I ask for? Though it is unfortunate that the film is not available in most other countries, I am hopeful it’ll slowly be available wherever Hindi films are streaming with English subtitles. If a film stands the test of time, that’s what matters in the long run.”

Zwigato might not have made a splash in Indian theatres, but it was critically appreciated on global platforms. Das shares a few interesting anecdotes. “Zwigato had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The response there and later at the Busan International Film Festival was truly moving. It’s fascinating how a film so rooted in its context and references resonates with people from different cultures. Many said the film was an immersive experience.”

She spotted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and her heroine Shahana Goswami at the Busan Festival, visibly emotional.

“At the Busan screening, I saw Anurag Kashyap and Shahana Goswami tearing up at the end of the film. Anurag insisted it was my best film. I’m not sure about that, but as one grows in life, it impacts how one chooses to tell a story. I prefer more subtleties and layers, and I feel the audience gets them without being explained,” she reflects.

Das also screened the film at various universities in the United States, including MIT, Columbia, and Brown, and engaged in thought-provoking discussions with audiences. “Abhijit Banerjee, economist and Nobel Laureate, did the Q&A at MIT. The conversation and questions were fascinating, delving deeper into the economic issues raised by the film. I was glad to see how the film’s universal themes resonated with diverse and discerning audiences,” she beams.

She also showed the film to delivery boys when it was released but insists the film is more for people like us, who often overlook the working class we depend on.

Given that part of the film focuses on the gig economy and delivery personnel, one might wonder if it could spark advocacy for the working class. But Das remains realistic.

Seldom tangible impact

“Films don’t create revolutions or tangible impact,” she asserts, adding, “but they seep into the viewer’s subconscious and make subtle shifts in minds and hearts if they resonate. That’s the role of art. If this wasn’t the case, art wouldn’t be seen as a threat by orthodox or conservative groups.”

“For me, art is a means to social change. While it won’t dramatically change the lives of gig workers overnight, it can make us think. As consumers, we play a significant role in how companies operate for our benefit and theirs. Films can spark conversations and invoke empathy for others, and that, I believe, is what this film achieves,” she explains.

Das has a home in Delhi. The Capital has seen her at pivotal moments of activism, standing with journalists and students and creating or participating in discussions on issues like how skin colour impacts societies and the cause of creativity and arts. Her connection with Delhi, as a person, artist, activist, and writer, is as varied as a mosaic.

Different Delhis in one

“I grew up in Delhi, during my educational years and also while doing social work and acting. There are many different Delhis within the same city. As my father is an artist (Jatin Das) and my mother (Varsha Das), a writer, my world included musicians, painters, photographers, dancers, writers, and so on. They are largely free-spirited people, and I miss the conversations I had since childhood. Many of my parents’ friends have become my friends over the years. Socio-politically, I find Delhi more stimulating, though these are generalisations. The city remains more unsafe for women and is more aggressive than cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai. But it also has many trees and monuments that make it unique.”

Despite this, Mumbai is more of her home. “All in all, I miss Delhi, but I’m not sure if I could return to it now.