Listen up ladies, just when you think your life is falling apart or you wish to scream your lungs out always tell yourself ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ and if that doesn’t work, binge-watching ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’on Prime might help you snap out of it. With that said, since the show took me back to my teenage years, I talked to the producer, Ashi Dua and director Karan Kapadia about how they resonate with the plot.
They say one should never judge a book by its cover, but does that also apply to OTT shows? Because if it does, I’m guilty as charged! ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ on Amazon Prime had me at the title, and trust me the show lives up to the hype. I mean what’s not to like? A fictional all-girls boarding school, 8 young girls trying to get through teenage drama, and a journey of self-love- the plot is a complete package, enough to keep you hooked. If it were up to me I’d go back to being a school kid in a heartbeat and that’s the kind of nostalgic trip the show takes you on. From struggling with self-esteem, ambitions, heartbreaks, friendships, and insecurities to growth, these women take us on a journey that’ll resonate with us at some point in our lives. Be it Dia’s ‘rebel without a cause’ attitude or Noor’s competitive streak, I have been glued to the characters since the first episode. Intrigued by the concept and the choice of characters we decided to have a candid conversation with the producer, Ashi Dua and director Karan Kapadia after the release, and have them spill the tea on what went behind curating the show.
In conversation with Ashi Dua and Karan Kapadia on their latest venture, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’
Firstly tell us what was the beginning of ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ How did vision come alive?
Karan Kapadia: The inspiration was our childhood, for me, it was very important to make something close to home and personal to me as a maker, especially for our first series and hence that was the inspiration.
What made you choose the concept and how do you as a woman resonate with the show?
Ashi Dua – This show is made for girls and I don’t think only I, but every girl will resonate with it because when we are at the age of 16-17 we all at some level go through heartbreaks /patriarchy /questioning who we all are and what do we want from life and that is something that resonates with me and I hope it does with every girl who watches it.
It must’ve been hard to choose the right set of girls for the show, so tell us about the audition process and what was your checklist for choosing the right fit.
We wanted the characters to be as authentic as possible to the world we were creating. The casting process was extremely complex and we auditioned over 3000 girls over 6 months across the country to arrive at our 7.
Since the show runs along the lines of friendship, heartbreaks, sisterhood and more of other teenage concepts, what were you like in your teenage years? And is there some sort of resemblance that you share with the characters?
Ashi Dua: I think personally I was a rebel without a cause when I look back, I was also highly sensitive which I still am I think …I was impulsive and adventurous. I think I would have been a mix of Dia and Roohi
We’ve had several swoon-worthy campus movies and series over the past years, so would you say ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ differs from the rest?
Karan Kapadia: Yes absolutely from its characters to the stories and themes we have addressed I feel makes our sure rather unique honest and special
How was it working with Pooja Bhatt, tell us a little about your experience.
Karan Kapadia: She is a master of the actual principles of life, a great collaborator and a phenomenal artist, it was a privilege and great learning.
The show is based around a boarding school, so why did you choose the genre of all-girls boarding school?
Karan Kapadia: Because there is a gap in the market for stories like this and a huge market for it.
Looking back at the show, do you recall some life-changing lessons that you learnt during your teenage years?
Karan Kapadia: Yes. Never give in
Which character would you say you relate to the most and why?
Karan Kapadia: Pluggy – because her story is bittersweet with a tinge of tragedy
Lastly, Is there is message that you’d like to convey to all the teenage girls out there?
Karan Kapadia: Yes don’t be afraid to be your true self, our journey is about knowing yourself, embracing it and loving yourself.
All Images: Courtesy Big Girls Don’t Cry
