Kanika in the city

Kanika Dhillon, who hails from Amritsar, moved to Mumbai to make it big as a filmmaker. The protagonist of her debut novel Bombay Duck is a Fish, Neki Brar, also moves to the city of glamour to become a filmmaker.Ask her if she has penned down her own story through this book and she promptly disagrees saying, “The only similarity between my protagonist and me is that we both have the same dream — to make it big as a filmmaker. But, that is where the similarity ends. It is not my story, but my point of view.” Even though the plot isn’t autobiographical, the characters in the book have been influenced by real life people, says Kanika. With an unusual and intriguing title, Kanika has portrayed the ugly and beautiful aspects of Bollywood — which is a place that makes a lot of people’s dreams come true, while others’ dreams get crushed into the dirt over and over again. Venturing further into Bombay Duck is a Fish, Kanika reveals, “This book is a satirical perspective on the ugly realities and the price one pays to make their dreams come true.” So, is there an interesting story behind the title? “Yes! When I first went to Mumbai, I was a complete stranger in the city. I visited a restaurant with an acquaintance and ordered the Bombay Duck from the menu. But to my astonishment, the waiter brought a fish to my table. When I inquired, he said, ‘Bombay duck is a fish’,” narrates Kanika. She further explains, “This title is a metaphor for what is shown and what actually happens in the city.” So, what actually happens in Bollywood? “It is both beautiful and ugly at the same time. Thousands of youngsters leave their homes behind with a promise to make their dreams come true.Some make it big, while others have to take a train back home.But, I think of Bollywood as a mirage that beckons people to come and struggle and try their luck,” opines Kanika, who is co-writing for the movie Ra.One.She believes herself to be a storyteller and wants to extend her skill from writing to making a film in future. “As a storyteller, I would love to experiment with different media apart from script and novel writing. I would love to direct films in the future,” reveals the author, who is also working on her second novel — the story of girl and her religious dilemmas.Kanika, who started her career working as an assistant director to Farah Khan on the sets of Om Shanti Om, believes that she has not achieved things overnight.With working on movies and ad films, where did you find time to write your book? “I had a story to tell. And, the juxtaposition was just perfect — I was in the middle of Bollywood and there was so much going on. So I thought that this would be a good story to tell.” “Everyone who has a dream, big or small, should read this book because it is not a fairytale, but talks about the realities of life,” says Kanika before signing off.