'Pallavi Menke is me': Neeraj Ghaywan on #MadeInHeaven2 controversy
Made in Heaven 2's team courted controversy when Coming Out as Dalit author Yashica Dutt blamed the makers recently for using her life's story in the fifth episode sans credit. Soon after, director Neeraj Ghaywan and showrunners Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava, and Reema Kagti dismissed Dutt's claims. Now, in an interview, Ghaywan has claimed the said episode's central character—Pallavi Menke—was based on his life.
Here's what happened in 5th episode
In the fifth episode—helmed by Ghaywan—Menke is portrayed as an accomplished Dalit writer who pens a book about concealing her identity and her eventual decision to embrace it. She also grapples with the challenge of having a Dalit-Buddhist wedding due to her in-laws, who aren't happy about her Dalit identity. Raising objection, Dutt had said the episode "erases" her contribution to her "own ideas."
'Art reflects reality': Ghaywan on Dutt's complaint
Now, Ghaywan told Mid-Day, "Art reflects reality. And if it doesn't, then it'll become hollow. [What] if you tell Truffaut, look at all the post-modern kitsch that you've shown—why have you not attributed? You have to see things through the lens of art." "When she [Menke] talks about using a [caste-neutral] last name, Kumar—that's me," he added, drawing parallels with his own Dalit identity.
Ghaywan, like Menke, initially hid his identity
Ghaywan reflected on how his passport still has the surname Kumar, but five years ago, he reclaimed his original Dalit surname, Ghaywan, much to the dismay of his friends and relatives. "I poured a lot of myself... It is scary to put out something you've spent all your years, growing up, hiding away from the world," he added, terming the caste-based ostracization "scarring."
Menke's brother's track is from his life
Elaborating on how Menke's character draws from his life, Ghaywan added, "That weight [of being the only acknowledged Dalit artist in the industry] is too much to carry. I have doubts about myself. That reflects in [Menke's] life too." His family getting miffed with him over him revealing his identity also influenced Menke's brother's track, while some other tracks are rooted in real life.
Earlier, Ghaywan gave Dutt shoutout
Interestingly, before the controversy erupted, Ghaywan acknowledged Dutt's work on social media, saying she was one of the driving factors behind Menke's character portrayal. "Thanks to @yashicadutt and her book (Coming Out as a Dalit) which made the term 'coming out' become part of the popular culture lexicon for owning one's Dalit identity. This inspired [Menke's] interview section in the episode," he had shared.
