We make films on wounds of society because they need healing: Siddharth-Garima on tackling taboo topics | Exclusive

Writer-director duo Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal explain why they gravitate toward bold, real-world issues like surrogacy and honour killing, blending realism with commercial appeal. At the Mumba International Film Festival in Pune, where Dukaan clinched the Best Film award, the duo shared their approach to turning sensitive subjects into entertaining cinema.Garima: What we are trying to do is experiment with something right now. I am sure it will take time, but we are trying to blend realism and research with commerce. This is a different genre we are attempting with cinema. Who says that a ‘rural idea only has to be made in a rural setting or turn it into an arthouse film?’ You can still attempt something commercial with it. This is where Dukaan comes in, which is a very personal topic of surrogacy. So this subject we had to do and wanted it to be as commercial as possible, which is why it has six songs, vibrant colours, dance, and everything that makes it a theatrical film. However, the only thing missing here is a mainstream star, but our actors still managed to pull off a wonder. Siddharth: We tend to make films on the wounds of society, because they need healing. Topics like honour killing or the umbrella ban on surrogacy need a touch of a fresh perspective. We try to do just that, of course, not at the cost of entertainment. Now this is the scope of our filmography; it is up to us as to how to use what we have learned.Garima: We often get asked if you guys were planning something as commercial as this, why not go for a big star? But they don’t know that we have been to all the big stars of the industry, and nobody wanted to be a part of something like this, mainly because it is different. The film needs a young girl to play a pregnant woman. So, more than a star, we would need a solid actor who can do justice to the script.