Currently filming her debut Hindi movie based on the real-life freedom fighter Neera Arya, Roopa Iyer, a former actor now turned director, exudes a sense of being battle-tested. The journey of bringing Neera's story to life involved extensive research, as well as navigating the challenge of directing a predominantly male team, which sometimes downplays a female director's instructions. Roopa's experience with this project has been marked by learning and overcoming obstacles, particularly related to gender biases. In a recent interview, she emphasized the importance of sharing Neera's inspiring tale, highlighting the character's involvement in the Jhansi regiment of the Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose. Netaji considered every woman in the regiment a Rani, recognizing their strength and courage in fighting for the nation. The narrative focuses on Neera's sacrifices, including killing her own husband to protect Netaji, leading to her imprisonment and enduring physical torment as an act of loyalty. While the storyline is fictionalized to some extent, Roopa emphasizes the creative liberties filmmakers have in storytelling. She also discussed the challenges faced during casting, particularly due to her background in the southern film industry, where many actors initially ignored her casting calls. Collaboration with a senior journalist in Mumbai eventually helped her connect with suitable actors for the project, with particular emphasis on the difficulties encountered in finding the right actor for the role of Neera's husband.He is taking on the role of a villain, and I am pleased to have Priyanshu Chatterjee portraying this character. After auditioning numerous individuals for Netaji's role, we finally selected Shreyas Talpade, who we believe truly resembles Netaji. Suresh Oberoi plays Neera's father in the film. "I felt compelled to make this film in Hindi," as it is a patriotic story with national relevance. It tells the inspiring tale of a courageous woman who overcame challenges to share her story. This is a narrative that must be heard by everyone, which is why I opted to produce it in Hindi. Despite being proficient in Hindi grammar from studying the language extensively, there are moments of hesitation due to infrequent usage, as one carefully selects their words. "It's disheartening to witness a lack of professionalism among many individuals working in various departments of the Kannada film industry." While Kannada films are succeeding on a national level, the absence of professionalism at the grassroots level is concerning. Many industry professionals, including artists and technicians in areas like makeup, costumes, art, and lighting, lack proper training and instead rely on learning while on the job, resulting in production delays and increased costs. It is crucial for the film chamber and department heads to ensure that personnel are adequately trained before being deployed to sets, akin to how police officers must be trained before fieldwork. Often, individuals are deployed based on personal connections rather than qualifications. While filmmaking costs should ideally decrease with advanced technology, these practices hinder growth and development within the industry.Email stunted due to their lack of enthusiasm towards their work. As the director, I aim to provide assistance to employees and individuals in our film sector. However, dealing with their sense of entitlement can be a challenging struggle.