'Made in Heaven 2' courted controversy when author Yashica Dutt accused makers of unfairly using her life story in episode five. Now, director Neeraj Ghaywan has claimed that the central character was based on his life.
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Fifth episode
In the fifth episode, Menke is portrayed as an accomplished Dalit writer who pens a book about concealing her identity and her eventual decision to embrace it.
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'Art reflects reality': Ghaywan
Ghaywan told a portal, "When she [Menke] talks about using a [caste-neutral] last name, Kumar—that's me."
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Parallels with Menke
Ghaywan added, "The 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."
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Earlier, heacknowledged Dutt
Earlier, Ghaywan acknowledged Dutt's work. "Thanks to @yashicadutt and her book ('Coming Out as a Dalit') which made the term 'coming out' become part of culture lexicon for owning one's Dalit identity."