From Vicky's grandmother, mother and wife in "Vicky Donor", to "Piku" and Vidya Iyer in "October", Juhi Chaturvedi has given life to some of the most real female characters and the writer on Sunday said she feels a sense of responsibility towards these parts.
Juhi said she always aims to do justice to these women and give them a voice, something they were not "allowed" to have for the longest time.
"I want to do justice to the woman I write. I feel it's my responsibility to do justice to the characters I write and ensure that everyone gets their fair share of truth, and definitely women too," she said during a panel discussion at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
The writer added she doesn't create strong female characters with a feminist agenda because such women have always been around.
"I will never have any man speak badly to her. I will not allow that to happen. I'm very clear about that unless it comes to point that it's needed for a certain scene. But then again, it's not about being feminist or writing strong female characters. I feel they are strong enough already, there is nothing to say that today suddenly out of the blue the women have become stronger. They were always there. It just that we didn't know."
"...Now we can express ourselves instantly. When I write I ensure that there is no hint of regression in those families."
"If Syed (played by Irrfan Khan) was at home with Piku the night before Bhashkor falls ill and he comes out of her bedroom, so be it. So what if she and Syed are not married? It's just the physical need as Piku puts it. It's the truth of this world and I would like to say that without shying away."
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