Mumbai: Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari says her process of casting has no connection with an actor's personal or political opinion, but it depends on talent and the demand of story.
Tiwari is gearing up for the release of her new film Panga, starring Kangana Ranaut with Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta. She has worked with actores like Swara Bhaskar (Nil Battey Sannata) and Kriti Sanon (Barelly Ki Barfi) in the past.
"When it comes to casting, I go by my gut feeling and their ability to perform. Whether it is Swara, Richa and Kangana, undoubtedly they are brilliant actores. As a film director I see the character in them on screen, and that is important for me to get rather than what their political opinions are. If, as a director I constantly have to think about how they are as an individuals off the screen, I won't be able to create a character and extract a performance out of them on screen," told Ashwiny.
On differences of opinion and professionalism, the filmmaker added: "Who does not have an opinion? Even in a household that we live, people can have a different opinions on regular things. That does not mean we cannot co-exist."
However, it is quite interesting to notice that Ashwiny, in all her film, focuses on people-to-people relationship but her politics never reflects in her storytelling, as it does in the case of a few contemporary filmmakers.
Does she make a conscious effort to avoid political commentary in her films? "There are so many people who make their comment on politics, why me? Why does a film have to do that? Also, every filmmaker has his ot her way of telling a story. In my films, politics and conflicts exist in the human mind and the situation," said Tiwari.