The Real Heroines of Bollywood

As the director announces ‘pack-up’ after a long day’s shoot and the entire crew leaves for a good night’s sleep, the natives of the edit table rise to the occasion with scores of raw footage to maneuver on. And with a large chunk of these editors being women, the pressures of coping with personal and professional commitments sure brings in the stress. But the women editors of Bollywood indeed know the craft too well to be distressed. Burgeoning as the real heroines of Indian cinema, these ladies have attained much more than mere success in this male-dominated fraternity.

As the movie comes to a closure, on reminiscing the film’s best moments, all we eventually remember are these prominent aspects. The jump cuts, fade-ins and fade-outs, dissolves, cross cuts, fast cuts, montages all these terminologies have only seemed remote for a lay film fan until today. Hardly did we notice these transitions while watching a film, let alone knowing the editor per se. However, with changing times, this integral part of filmmaking has gained much attention with the editors grabbing the spotlight too. With women opting for the glitz and glam roles in Indian cinema, the ladies are seen hitting the backstage in a big way at the edit table as well. Gone are the days when we saw a geeky man parked at the edit room working on the rushes for hours together. A profession that has been a male pursuit for years now, the trend of women editors pioneered back in the 80s when Renu Saluja took the industry by a storm with her prolific editing skills. 

Nevertheless, even today, the film industry is evidently not the first choice for women owing to family woes and parental concerns leave aside the little known profession of editing. As Namrata Rao, the 32 year old award-winning editor of Kahaani confesses, “I left a stable IT engineering profession to settle for Editing. My choice was greatly disapproved by my parents who were concerned due to the volatility of the profession. But I knew this is where I belonged hence went after my dream and here I am.” Veteran film editor Deepa Bhatia who has been in the business for over 16 years now states, “Since I hailed from a business family I was not really encouraged to go this route. But the introduction of world cinema in college literally changed my entire perspective towards the profession.” A Hungarian film ‘You’ by Istvan Szabo brought Bhatia to identify the sphere she wanted to inhabit in filmmaking.

Hemanti Sarkar, editor of the most widely applauded film ‘English Vinglish’ elucidates, “I feel editing is more of a woman oriented job. It is like looking after a child even if it’s not your own. When the film reaches you at the editing table it is like a newborn baby with bits and pieces of picture and sound which don't really make sense. So like a mother you have to teach it every skill of life, love it and look after it, almost like dressing a child for the big day so that nothing is out of place. Find out his or her strong points, encourage it so that when they step out into the world they are the best. And who better than a woman to do so.” Quizzing Shweta Venkat Matthews, editor of the brutal drama Gangs of Wasseypur, she adheres patience and the ability to multi-task as the key ingredient to attain the ‘eureka’ moments. “If you have these, editing will come naturally to any woman who is interested in the art”, asserts Shweta.

Statistically, film editing witnesses more men than women, but the latter are nonetheless making a prominent place for themselves here unlike other technical departments of filmmaking like sound, cinematography or camera. Jabeen Merchant, editor of the critically acclaimed film ‘Manorama Six Feet Under’ however sees the subject in different light, “It’s not the same case today. There are more and more women who are coming out of film schools with degrees in photography, direction and sound as well. Also, there exist several female camera persons and other technical assistants who are women. It’s just that they have not cut into the limelight yet or worked with the most prominent banners.”  Aarti Bajaj, another veteran who has ruled the roost for over 15 years with films like Paan Singh Tomar also backs the stance as she states, “Behind the glare, there are a lot of women who are a part of the technical teams. All people need to do is just look beyond the obvious level of people. And in just a matter of few years they all will be out in the open like the women editors today.”

With a majority of Hindi films witnessing the leading ladies as a mere muse to the heroes, the discrimination was always evident. The tradition however changed overtime and the backstage too saw an extensive transformation. “A part of this change can be attributed to the liberty and exposure cinema offers today. People judge you on the grounds of your creativity and the work you are capable of. It has nothing to do with gender anymore”, says Namrata. Deepa Bhatia who started out at the age of 25 states, “I was very young. We are talking about the mid-90s here. The initial 5-6 months was a struggle as it was difficult for people to accept me as an aspiring film editor. But it was not patronizing or derogatory in any way; just the initial difficulty for people to accept this fact. But I never came across any sort of gender discrimination here.” Shweta who on the other hand edited a vengeance-filled action flick like Wasseypur says, “When people came to know that I edited Gangs of Wasseypur, they were not very sure and have told me, you don’t look like the one who could edit this film. They could not relate to the idea of a woman editing a film of this caliber. And that’s what makes me proud.”

While the name and fame certainly bring in much delight but when it comes to money matters, we also see a fairly painted picture here. “There is no discrimination on the monetary aspect.  Generally editors are underpaid as compared to other technicians but we also have the giants like Aarti and Deepa who make much more than the male editors today. It’s the experience and craft that gives you your worth” says Jabeen.

With not just a profession to cater to, these super women support their families and raise children too. The grueling hours at the edit table do take a toll, but the family support is what eventually pushes one to a fresh start each day. Deepa who is the wife of screenwriter/director Amol Gupte and a mother of a 12 year old cites a key pillar of strength in her family. “My husband and son are extremely accommodative and understand the importance of my work. Amol and I work our schedules around our son making sure we spend time with him. And my profession gives me the liberty to do so. There are also times when I am in the edit room and my son is sitting outside completing his homework.” Aarti who is the ex-wife of director Anurag Kashyap and a mother of 11 year old Aaliya elaborates, “As a single mother, I have raised my daughter to be independent. She is fully aware of what my work demands and we share a great understanding.” Jabeen adds, “There are times when we are invited for a family event. The in-laws may not expect my husband to attend but sure wish to see me as I am the lady of the house. But again my job allows me to juggle personal commitments too. Sometimes it’s not possible and I have to refuse which does not go too well either.”

Being a part of the showbiz that is all about glamour and flamboyance, film editing has been an invisible profession all the while. Although due credit is attributed, the job frequently goes unnoticed. But the ladies seem rather comfortable with the idea. Namrata who believes that the work should speak for itself says, “It actually causes more intrigue. When a person finds out that a woman edited a particular film, they are all the more fascinated.” Deepa who considers her job as pure meditation states, “I am absolutely comfortable with the idea as I always knew what I’m getting into. I don’t work for the limelight but just for the joy of working on the rushes.” The seclusion and anonymity of editing works to Hemanti’s benefit who confesses, “I cannot imagine dealing with the million people on sets. When I have to talk to more than two people I haven’t met before, I feel jittery. The edit room is my solace.” Jabeen however feels that after a certain point, one has to make himself/herself noticed and people should know you. And that it stands true for any profession.

As the women editors cut across all barriers, breaking the celluloid ceiling and making it to the top slots in their line of work, they have well surpassed their male counterparts over the years. “Women today are tremendously prudent and know what they want. They nudge their way along and are manipulative in the right sense, thereby opening up newer avenues in the male-dominated scenario” concludes Shweta.  

A profession that is luring more and more women to join the brigade ensuring a stable, fruitful and creative vocation, the future only seems promising for women film editors here on.