Imagine a room full of feminine energy, with talks around work, literature, culture, and what not! That’s exactly what Dia Mirza Rekhi’s soirée on May 2 looked like. The actor hosted a do, which saw almost 40 women actors, directors, and technicians in attendance — including Shabana Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Taapsee Pannu, Zoya Akhtar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Prajakta Koli, and designer Anita Dongre.
Mirza’s guest list was a mix of old friends and new. “While we have a [core] group of nine women, it always gets extended beyond that. I have learnt it from Shabanaji, who always encourages women. She is the glue holding us,” smiled Mirza.
Shabana Azmi with Anita Dongre; Divya Dutta and Zoya Akhtar; Tannishtha Chatterjee with Dia Mirza Rekhi
Through these soirées, the idea is to celebrate each other and look out for one another. “The patriarchal systems have created these ideas of women being pitted against women. If we have to change the world, we have to strengthen our sisterhood,” emphasised the actor, adding that their chats are about “work, family, politics — everything”. “We discuss red flags in the film industry. We always let each other know when we come across douchebags and dodgy people. It’s a secret network that helps us.”
Have they considered a formal approach to changing the industry’s work culture? Perhaps by being part of existing film associations? “I agree that film bodies largely consist of men, and women need more representation. This is something we should actively work on. But as Shabanaji says, ‘Why does everything have to be serious? Why can’t we just have fun?’”
May 2
When the actor hosted the get-together