For the people

Jai Basantu Singh's directorial debut Janhit Mein Jaari talked about safe sex and condom usuage. Tanisha Bhattacharya talks to filmmaker who believes in espousing causes

- Tanisha Bhattacharya

Helming a film like Janhit Mein Jaari with a female lead H takes a lot of conviction. Jai Basantu Singh believed that the film's story wasn't just meant to entertain but to educate as well. The film narrated the tale of a woman who broke all societal norms by first becoming a salesperson for condoms and then taking up a crusade for safe sex, branding condoms as tools for women's safety, rather than pleasure. Ask him what attracted him towards this particular story, and he credits writer and producer Raaj Shaandilyaa for its genesis. Raaj came to him with a story about a girl selling condoms, and Jai immediately wanted to write a screenplay around it. He knew that the mere mention of condoms is considered taboo in our society, and so the challenge was to normalise it with dignity and to make people laugh at the same time. Educating people about its benefits without being preachy was another target. "As a responsible filmmaker, director, and writer, I was blown away by this idea that I should say something and do something for my nation through my filmmaking. I was fortunate to have my first film be a women-centric film, with which I am saying something to my country," he gushes.