Alankrita Shrivastava (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Alankrita Shrivastava’s latest Hindi feature film, Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars, strongly focuses on gender roles, societal norms and moral judgments while displaying the multiple hues of women trying to get by. In the Netflix feature, Kajal/Kitty (Bhumi Pednekar) is a young girl who wants to live an independent life. She comes to the city of Noida and stays with her cousin Radha/Dolly (Konkona Sen Sharma) while searching for a job. Dolly seemingly has the perfect family set-up with her husband and two kids, but the strange quirks of fate compel both women to confront the bitter realities of existence. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. I recently spoke with Shrivastava about Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars.
Dipankar Sarkar: How did you come across the idea to narrate the tale of two women who decide to live their life on their terms and hence have to pay a price for their brazenness?
Alankrita Shrivastava: The idea emerged from the space of Greater Noida. My mother lives in Noida, and she has invested in some property there. So, I would make some trips there with her. I was struck by the sense of space continuously under construction, a city constantly in the making — the large malls, the call centers along the highway, the homes converted into girls’ hostels — and I started thinking about the women who may be moving here from smaller towns, trying to make their living in this constantly under-construction urban space. And I thought of this young girl who has come to work in “Delhi” supposedly, with dreams in her eyes. But the city is not what she thought it would be. The call center is not what she thought it would be. And so “Kitty” emerged. And then I thought Kitty must have some relative she is living with when she arrives. And Kitty’s arrival will shake her life up. And that is how “Dolly” emerged.
DS: While on a weekend trip to the amusement park, Kajal tells her cousin Radha that the later’s husband is making unwanted advances towards her, but Radha tactfully skirts the issue. As the conversation takes place, artificial demons emerge from the tunnel. Is it some sort of premonition of the horrors that both the characters are going to encounter later in the film?
AS: Yes, it was a very deliberate choice to locate the scene in a haunted house in an amusement park. It is a sort of metaphor for the dangers of the city. And yet there is a thrill in getting past that fear, and confronting it. The monsters of the haunted house are also a metaphor for the horror of what the inner workings of a domestic household may contain. And there is a make-believe nature of the haunted house — nothing is as it appears to be. And that is how Dolly’s life is. And yet this strange space is one where Kitty feels comfortable enough to tell Dolly about what Dolly’s husband wants from Kitty. For me, it’s a scene that also clearly sets apart Dolly and Kitty. Dolly is a living web of lies and constantly pretending, Kitty is more honest and clear about her apprehensions and fears. It also is telling about their relationship.
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DS: Before leaving her job in the shoe factory, Kajal takes a sip from the bottle of soft drink left behind by the factory manager and then passes the bottle to another worker. What is the significance of the bottle in the scene?
AS: It was to highlight the drudgery of working in the factory. It’s hot. There is no air conditioning. It smells. And in that atmosphere, there is nothing as refreshing and delightful as a sip of a cold soda. The shared understanding between the other factory worker and Kaajal is communicated through that cold drink. Also, the idea of any hint of opportunity is meant to be grabbed, no matter how sullied, or how odd the circumstances. Even if it’s the boss’ leftover drink, and he has just screamed at her, in itself the cold drink is an opportunity. And Kitty, as a character, has an eye for opportunity and does not fail to grab it, no matter how odd the circumstances. And we will see this play out when she takes the job at the Red Rose romance app. Also, on a lighter note, it’s that drink that gives her the energy to go confront the boss. It’s almost like a tonic. And the co-worker in sharing that drink encourages her.
DS:The film creates a kind of secular ambiance with a Christian-run girl’s hostel. Kajal’s hostel mate as well the delivery boy in Radha’s life is a Muslim, and DJ Teja’s brother is the member of a saffron-clad vigilante. What was the thought process behind such a depiction?
AS: I like to make sure that the characters and spaces are specific and detailed. That specificity expresses itself through all kinds of cultural symbols in space and through the names and surnames of the characters. They are not generic then. Also the kind of world we are living in India — the setting of the film is a microcosm of that world. It is a time of majoritarian forces ruling the roost and minorities, particularly Muslims, being judged for the faith they are born into. I think cinema is a reflection of reality. And I do believe that as a filmmaker it is my job to show the mirror to society. I think “Dolly Kitty” is a milieu film in that though it is essentially the story of Dolly and Kitty, it is also about the space in which these two characters exist. The socio-cultural-political and economic realities of their existence are woven into the film.
DS: Greater Noida as a city is inundated with real estate agents, rogues who pester a lone girl at night, sexual exploiters, etc, but yet it is a place full of opportunities and aspirations.
AS: Yes, I think newly urbanizing spaces are interesting in that sense. There are greed and exploitation, and yet there is a freedom that is found in shedding off the traditional set up of a smaller town. There are opportunities, there is danger and yet there is joy and exhilaration. The possibilities are endless. Freedom and independence are there to be grabbed. But it comes at a price. In my opinion, it’s well worth the high price for a woman to grab that opportunity and independence. This kind of space also opens up the moral ambiguity of the characters. No one is telling Dolly and Kitty to make one choice or the other. Their battles are internal, because the city, though dangerous, is theirs for the taking. But the inner conditioning of the patriarchy is what they both have to fight, in a sense. And maybe learn to go beyond the morality of what is “good” and “bad” from society, and make choices that make sense to them at that moment. And that is freedom. In that sense, Greater Noida is a metaphor for the journey of both Dolly and Kitty. A city with choices, opportunity, moral ambiguity and a perpetual work in progress.
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DS: Shazia is portrayed as an individual who is promiscuous and an opportunist, but at the same time, her presence helps Kitty to achieve a renewed perspective towards living an unfettered life in the city. What was the purpose of her character within the narrative?
AS: To be honest, Shazia had a larger, more-detailed arc in the original script. Which then we cut when editing the film, as the film is about the journeys of Dolly and Kitty. Shazia’s purpose is to provide Kitty a peek into a different way of living — a way of life that is thrilling and yet painful. As the writer-director, I’m not passing any moral judgment on Shazia. She has to make the most of the opportunities she has. She wants to make it up the ladder. She wants more from life. She chooses what she sees as the obvious way of making progress. Aspiration is big in the women of my story. And it’s valid and not something I judge them for. When the city has things to offer, why not try your luck?
DS: Dolly and Amit’s younger son, Pappu, prefers to play with dolls and has developed a natural attraction towards feminine attire and makeup. Such behaviors shock Radha, and she corporally punishes her son. But Amit reacts indifferently. Will it be wrong to assume that the child’s gender identity infuses a kind of guilt within the conscious of his mother?
AS: I think Pappu veering towards seeing himself as a girl is something that is the cause of a deep dilemma for Dolly. In her not accepting him, she is not accepting herself. And Dolly’s mother, Dolly and Pappu are connected in a sense. Only when Dolly is confronted with her mother does her heart start to open up to Pappu. And when she can accept Pappu, it changes something inside of her, and eventually, the two can perhaps look forward to a reunion with Dolly’s mother. Pappu is both cause and effect and metaphor in Dolly’s journey of self-discovery. Pappu’s seeking the feminine within enables Dolly to have the courage to not shy away from her inner truth. There is inherent patriarchal conditioning in Dolly rejecting Pappu. So, it is of deep significance that she can get past those internal walls and barriers, eventually.
DS:The call-center, Red Rose Romance, where Kajal starts working and gets christened as Kitty, poses as a dating application but subterfuges in providing sexual pleasures through phone conversations. Is this a kind of metaphor for the dualism exhibited by the individuals inhabiting the universe of the film?
AS: The intention behind creating this app service was to explore the moral dilemma that Kitty is faced with. If this job is giving her some material comfort, is it so wrong? If it is giving her much more respect than she had in her cousin Dolly’s house, doesn’t that make it worthwhile? And how far is too far? The reason for the app being called a romance app, when more is expected and provided, is to do with the hypocrisy of Indian society per se. “Romance” is acceptable but “sex talk” is not. Also, men are never judged for availing of sexual services, be they online or in real life, but the women who provide these services are supposed to be morally corrupt. And that is problematic. So, this app kind of reflects that hypocrisy. Also, I think if it was a straight-up sex chat service, maybe Kitty would not have joined it so easily. The fact that it is meant to be a “romance” service makes it more palatable. Also, I did want to use the app to explore the commercialization of romance — the business and selling of it. And for a young girl with romantic aspirations to find herself working in a space that commodifies love was interesting. It is a strange coming of age for her then.
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DS: When money falls short for their installments for the flat, Radha pushes Dolly way by either stealing from her office or selling her jewelry. She not only prepares but also serves tea to the chief account to gain his trust for a loan. Is she a tactician?
AS: Dolly is essentially a person who is managing many things for her family, while on the surface seeming like she is just a chirpy and excitable woman. She works, takes care of the kids — she’s trying to figure out extra resources by hook or by crook to make the family move up the ladder of social mobility. She is quite sharp. Beneath her frivolous exterior lies a sharp and resourceful mind. Also, she likes to give the impression to people at work, even the friends, that she does not need to work, that she has more than she does. She is competitive in that sense, and also at the stage where she has convinced herself that happiness lies in ticking the boxes of a better car, better home, better gadgets. But by the end of the film, as she unravels and starts to see her true self, she sees that perhaps that happiness that she was seeking through better material goods is not going to be found unless she deals with her deep inner truths. A life of pretense will not make her happy. In that sense, her character is modeled on Nora from [Henrik] Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.” Even Dolly’s house being like a doll’s house is a sort of metaphor. And Dolly’s mother recognizes the façade of Dolly’s existence. The use of the doll’s museum and the choice of the name “Dolly” are all intended to feed into that idea. As far as the making and drinking of the tea, it is about being unaware of the casual sexism Dolly doesn’t recognize, until one day she does and refuses to conform any more — again, symbolic of her getting over the internalized patriarchy that lives inside of her.
DS: Kajal’s estranged mother appears in one of the scenes, and we discover that she had abandoned her family in search of freedom from family ties and led a fulfilled sensual life with her lover. Later in the film, Dolly almost follows in the steps of her mother. How different is she from her mother?
AS: Dolly is the same as her mother. She just doesn’t know it. She has grown up feeling abandoned by her mother. She was determined to be everything her mother was not. She was determined to have the perfect family life. But as it turns out, her mother’s soul pulsates inside of Dolly. She too is dissatisfied with life and wants something more. But when we meet her at the beginning of the film, she has convinced herself that everything is okay. It is when she is in a dilemma about Pappu’s gender choices that she starts thinking about her mother and feeling the need for some answers. Her mother understands her instinctively in that one meeting. And though Dolly is mean to her mother and hates her and feels bad at the same time, something changes for Dolly with that meeting. Eventually, it helps her accept Pappu, and that in turn helps her be more honest to herself. She does try and fulfill her desires, just like her mother did. And finally, when she is leaving her husband, she acknowledges that, yes, she is just like her mother. The only difference is that Dolly tries to take both her children along with her. But Bharat refuses to go with her. And in that sense, Dolly becomes a mother who abandoned a child in pursuit of her freedom and independence.
DS: Osman and Radha stroll together around a graveyard, a site which couples usually don’t visit during a date. Is the location a kind of set up used in the film so that later Dolly can visit the place to inscribe the much-coveted star ratings on the tombstone? Or is there something more to the scene?
AS: The graveyard was used intentionally as a place for them to meet because Osman was going to die in the end, and to symbolize the fact that their relationship does not have a future in the real world. I find graveyards very beautiful, peaceful and calming for some reason. I wanted the relationship between Dolly and Osman to have that feeling of otherworldliness and tranquillity. It’s quite an ethereal romance. Also, where can a couple like Dolly and Osman meet? It has to feel odd, the place of meeting. So,, the graveyard seemed perfect.
DS: Radha after having sex with her young paramour, discerns that she is not “frigid,” whereas Kajal loses her virginity to a guile person and the chicanery strengthens her psychologically. So, does the fulfillment of carnal desires propel the two characters to develop a fresh objective towards life?
AS: I think Dolly having “fulfilling” sex is meaningful. Similarly, Kitty finding fulfillment not in the person she was romantically interested in, but in a rebound sexual encounter with the DJ, is significant. I think women are conditioned to not own their bodies, to not put their fulfillment first. I wanted Dolly and Kitty to experience that joy and fulfillment. It is then not just about sex, but about owning yourself. As for Kitty losing her virginity, that is such a disappointment, as the first time having sex for young people normally is. Kitty losing her virginity is about not putting “virginity” and “purity” at a pedestal. It’s a very difficult day for her because she gets caught by the cops and then abandoned by Pradeep. It is one of those events that you remember as moments that make you see the world differently suddenly. And you are forced to grow up.
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DS: In the scene on the terrace — where both the cousins open up their hearts and bitter truth spills out over a glass of alcohol — Kajal and Radha deduce each other’s life’s choices, and it appears that they are two sides of the same coin.
AS: Dolly and Kitty have both suffered in their ways. And that scene is about Dolly accepting Kitty, and Kitty revealing her heart to Dolly without fear of judgment. For me, the scene is about sisterhood, how complicated it can be to find trust in your sisters and closest friends. But when you find that connection, it is so precious. It sees you through life. And I do believe that women do find strength in other women — just not at moments and in ways that they expect to always. And it took Dolly and Kitty to experience everything they did to reach that point. The beauty of the scene for me is that finally there is pretense and no judgment. The two of them can be themselves with each other, without fear. And the scene is in sharp contrast to the sequence in the haunted house at the beginning of the film.
DS: Towards the climax of the film, the blatant display of an art installation stirs the hornet’s nest, and mayhem is ensured by moral policing hooligans. The installation gets vandalized, people run helter-skelter, shots are fired from a gun and individuals lose their lives. Why did you opt to bring closure to the film with a violent sequence?
AS: I don’t feel that the sequence of violence is the closure of the film. It is the culmination of events and the atmosphere brewing in the city. And for Dolly and Kitty the violence is a turning point that leads them to their closures. There is an atmosphere of intolerance that we see build through the film. Billa slapping the delivery boy Osman. Billa and the team raising slogans against the Red Rose app for being shameful. Billa and the team attacking the couple on Rose Day and getting them picked up by the cops. So, for me, the violence in the city was inevitable. I never conceived of this film without the violence at the end. It was going to get ugly. And it was going to force Dolly and Kitty to make some active choices. I think in the India that we live in today, quiet violence that is communal stares us in the face. And the violence against women continues unabated. And I do see a merging of the two sometimes. I don’t think there is any getting away from it, whether it is in the online space or the real world. The art installation was an obvious metaphor that I chose to signify that the woman’s being is always under attack. And somehow the woman’s body is meant to hold the honour of society. But women need to own their bodies. Their bodies and beings are not meant to serve the needs of a patriarchal society.
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DS: Does the twinkling stars mentioned in the title of the film have any thematic resemble with the five stars rating request by the delivery boy from Radha, as well as the ratings received by Kitty after each of the phone calls from the clients?
AS: The twinkling stars mentioned in the title of the film reflect the theme of hope shining through the darkness. The idea that it’s not all gold and silver amidst the harsh reality of the city are snatches of hope and opportunity and freedom and independence. Those are the stars that twinkle in the dark. Also, as a city, it refers to the lights of the night offices — the call centers — that twinkle in the dark, polluted sky, like stars in the sky. Then, of course, it is the theme of ratings in a newly consumerist, urbanizing India. Kitty gets ratings — Pradeep gives her five stars. And Dolly and Osman flirt over the ratings she will give him. Of course, in the end, it is heart-breaking that she finally inscribes five stars for him after he has died.
Dipankar Sarkar (@Dipankar_Tezpur) is a graduate in film editing from the Film and Television Institute of India and currently based in Mumbai. As a freelancer, he frequently contributes to various Indian publications on cinema-related topics.
Categories: 2010s, 2020 Interviews, Comedy, Drama, Featured, Interviews, Netflix Originals, Streaming Originals
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