Konkona Sen Sharma on low count of female filmmakers: Only 3 per cent is abysmal

Konkona Sen Sharma has called the 3 per cent representation of women directors in Indian cinema "abysmal," saying anything less than 50 per cent is unacceptable.

The conversation around gender parity in Indian cinema has resurfaced once again, this time with actor-director Konkona Sen Sharma strongly calling out the dismal representation of women behind the camera. Referring to the statistic that only 3 per cent of the 2,500 films produced in India last year were directed by women, Konkona described the situation as “abysmal” and said it is far from acceptable.

In a recent chat with Variety India, Konkona, who is gearing up for the release of Accused, spoke about the need for better representation in filmmaking. She was joined by co-star Pratibha Ranta and director Anubhuti Kashyap. Notably, Accused is helmed by Anubhuti herself.

Konkona said, “It’s a sad reality. The numbers are very, very small - 3 per cent is abysmal. It should be at least 50 per cent. Anything below that is not acceptable."

She added, “Is it better than before? Probably. But that shouldn’t be the benchmark. We must focus on where we need to go."

Highlighting the systemic challenges, she further stated, “Often, decisions are driven by economics rather than the goal of building a more equitable society and that gets in the way At the end of the day, it’s about representation. We need more women stepping forward and choosing these careers. Let’s hope the next reports are much brighter - much, much brighter."

Sharing her perspective, Anubhuti said, “I think we are on the right track. In my personal experience, I haven’t seen instances where people weren’t chosen because of their gender - at least not to my knowledge It also has to do with how our country and system have functioned."