Everyone should be allowed to do what they want to do, says director Joseph Marvin Oliver. Women are not less than men, he ascertains. A chit chat with the director…

 What prompted you to make a film on women?

This story is inspired by a maid who used to work in the apartment I live in. She is really a good cook and she wanted to make it big in life and this was her way. Being a nice person that she is this maid would go beyond her limits to make everything good. This impressed me and I made this film.

What is women empowerment according to you?

Women should be able to do what they want to do. Men have been doing this for many years and women should be doing that as well.

Could you relate to any instances where women were either celebrated or oppressed?

I think women are oppressed more than being celebrated. This is so much ingrained and we can see it pretty much everywhere. Instances where they are celebrated are very few, but thankfully the scenario is changing and that is good to see. I hope that it continues and grows stronger as it has not reached where it should have been.

Tell us about personal women icons who made a difference to the society or to you?

As clichéd as it sounds it is my mother who comes to my mind. But I would credit all the women around me who have influenced me at some point or the other. There is too much pressure on them by the society and otherwise. They have all endured a lot and done their bit with a smile.

How should society go about enabling women to be empowered?

There is no single one stop solution. It’s a process, but it all boils down to people letting go of their preconceived notions. Situations earlier were different. People in power say that if you create change it will cause social disruptions. This isn’t true. Slavery was abolished. We should let go of these bigoted misogynist ideas that women are any less than men and everyone should be just doing what they want to do.

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