We are finicky, authoritative and we like it: Meghna Gulzar

Meghna Gulzar on Monday said she is okay with being tagged as a "finicky" and "authoritative" director as she believes these qualities reflect in her films.

The filmmaker was asked to comment on the perception that a male director exercising control is called "genius", while his female counterpart is branded "crazy".

"We are finicky, extremely detail-oriented, very authoritative and we like it like that. And that's what shows in our work, which you all like and see," Meghna said.

She was speaking at the in-conversation session 'Calling The Shots: Women Directors in Indian Cinema', moderated by director Shashank Khaitan at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Meghna, who started her career with "Fihaal", a 2002 social drama revolving around surrogacy, said she is a "living example that nepotism does not exist in the film industry".

"My first film failed miserably. It took me seven years to make my second film. It didn't matter what my last name was. It was only after that my films succeeded that it became easier for me to make my fourth film. Again it didn't matter what my last name was. What mattered was how the film fared."
Meghna recalled, "He said, 'I don't need men to make this film. You get me two strong women and you just go for it.'"