Guneet Monga
I first met Guneet after she had just been back from the Oscars. A short film she had produced, Kavi, had been nominated but it did not win. No matter. Her story of how she got to the Oscars with the then President of India, Pratibha Patils office rallying around her was victory enough. And this unassailable quality of hers is what first drew me to her. She never ever gives up. She lost both her parents in quick succession of each other, and she moved to Mumbai from Delhi to escape the void of their absence and to follow her dreams, Films. Since then I have never once seen her wallow in self-pity or even an iota of sorrow. Instead she is like the energizer bunny that keeps going and boy has she gone the distance. In her 8-year career she has produced 17 films and is now Indian cinemas poster girl of independent cinema, globally. She is the most recognized and feted producer at all the major international festivals abroad and all the heads of festivals eagerly await her next film. Under her banner Sikhya Entertainment, she has consistently launched new directors, including me (Sikhya has produced my forthcoming debut directorial feature, Zubaan), and she hasn’t just launched us but she’s stood by us through all the storms. She is one of the most compassionate, sensitive and brillaint producers I have ever met, and oh yes, she is also one of my dearest friends. God was in a good mood the day he made Guneet.
This article was initially published in our Film Icons issue of 2015 and we are revisiting it as a part of our celebrating 15 years of Platform magazine series.
Text Mozez Singh
Photography Ishika Mohan Motwane