Renuka Shahane: One has to be used to dealing with backlash as a public figure

For her latest directorial venture, Loop Line, Renuka Shahane found her hero in a character that was until recently ignored by the movies — the homemaker. The Marathi animated short film explores how homemakers are burdened by mundane chores and labour, and subjected to emotional neglect. “The film comes from my observation of the casual misogyny and disregard to the feelings of housewives that is normalised in patriarchal families,” says the director.

Renuka Shahane made her directorial debut with Rita (2009). In 2021, she helmed the Kajol-starrer Tribhanga

Shahane’s choice of using hand-drawn animation to tell the story is unusual. The reason is simple, she says. “In India, animation is largely seen as a medium for children’s stories or mythological stories. I wanted to break that perception.”

Thematically, Loop Line walks the same path as Sanya Malhotra’s Mrs, which drew praise and backlash for spotlighting the suffering of women in domestic roles. But Shahane — who has a three-decade acting career behind her — is unfazed by the criticism. “If such stories make people uncomfortable, it means they’re doing what they’re supposed to. One has to be used to dealing with backlash as a public figure. One has to arrive at an appreciation of constructive criticism.”

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