'Double XL' director Satramm Ramani recalls being body shamed

New Delhi, Nov 4

Film director Satramm Ramani recalled being body shamed during his college days and how many similar such incidents inspired him to make a movie like 'Double XL'.

He told IANS: "When I was in college, things like body shaming used to have an effect on me as I was pretty thin, but I used to take it in stride. But that isn't the sole reason I opted for 'Double XL'."

"In my family too, there are people like my wife, mom and sister who have one thing in common: when they get ready, they would look at themselves in the mirror and be like, 'we have gained weight'. So, the constant thing that we hear about people is standards of looking a particular way, which I don't know who set. Tackling that is also one of the reasons behind doing the film," he added, explaining why he thought of dealing with the subject.

The director known for his movies such as 'Bodyguard', 'Helmet' and 'Ready' shares what struck him and he decided to make the movie.

"'Double XL' came to me as a story by Mudassar Aziz. He actually narrated it to me and then asked if I would like to direct the film. I felt that it is very relevant and this topic is something we should speak about in terms of cinema."

"To entertain people with a strong message is something I believe in. If I am doing even an action film, I will have some message, not something preachy but a statement where I am talking about something that makes people have a conversation about it after the film," he said.

Talking further, he said: "I had an amazing experience of working with Huma and Sonakshi. Both of them have their own ways of working. Huma's approach is that she will do her homework and come with her own mannerisms in the character. She'll be more into the character whereas Sona is blessed with a thing that you just tell her what you want and she delivers. So, both of them are brilliant in their own ways and I would say both of them are director's actors."

When asked about his future projects he said without revealing much: "I am working on my future script and I will start pitching it as soon as the script is ready. I can't talk about it much right now but the subject is something close to my heart and I am sure people will connect to it. It is full of fun, emotions and entertainment," he concluded.