What inspired gippi?

My own life, really. I grew up in a small town outside calcutta and went to a girls-only school. I was overweight and not as cute as gippi. Those three-four years of my life were horrible. I didn’t fit in because i am not bengali and i look like a girl from the northeast. I was an outcast. When i was in class viii-ix, i decided to lead a fun life. So, i started laughing at myself and became the class clown. This got me some attention in school. Before that i had a couple of friends who were as miserable as me. I have lost weight but in my head i am still a fat girl. Everyone goes through an awkward stage during puberty and that’s how we see ourselves for the rest of our lives.

You studied filmmaking in the us and worked with ayan mukerji as assistant director in wake up sid. Did you ever Think you’d get a chance to direct your own film so soon?

after wake up sid, i was itching to direct but i was realistic enough to know that it takes time in this business. I have also worked on 7 khoon maaf as script superviser Because i was dying to work with vishal bhardwaj. It was around that time that i wrote gippi as an ode to my teenage life. I didn’t think it would turn out to be my directorial debut and that karan (johar) would produce it.

how easy or tough was it to convince karan johar to produce this film?

it wasn’t tough at all. I gave the script to ayan who passed it to karan. That same night karan smsed saying ‘let’s make this film’. His only concern was if i was ready to direct it. I told him i was. I think karan related to gippi’s story. I think i had it easier than other dharma (production) directors!

you auditioned thousands of girls across mumbai and delhi. What made you choose 14-year-old riya vij?

off-screen, riya is very shy and quiet but when she faces the camera, she comes alive. I would explain the scene to her and she’d give me exactly what i wanted. It helped that she understood what gippi was going through, so she isn’t really acting.

do you know what you are doing after gippi?

hopefully making my next film. Filmmaking is really addictive (laughs). I have a few ideas, so i’ll take them to karan. Hopefully, he’ll like the one that’s my favourite.