'I believe in Bimal Roy's school of films'

Producer Prerna Arora, whose latest project Pad Man gives a message on menstrual hygiene, says she believes in the kind of cinema that late filmmaker Bimal Roy is known for. Arora, who spearheads Kriarj Entertainment Pvt Ltd, has a knack of backing films with socially relevant subjects.

Toilet - Ek Prem Katha was a case in point. "I don't want to follow usual path like everyone else. I want to create my own identity because then I feel you can be noticed by people," she says.

"Film industry is a very competitive field and more than that, I have always believed in Bimal Roy's school of films. He always backed films like Sujata or Bandini which were socially relevant at that point. I have always been in awe of his style of filmmaking and wanted to follow his path," she adds.

Arora also says she is compassionate and has a soft heart. "Firstly, I strongly feel about the subjects. I feel I should be in position where I can reach out to lot of people in my capacity. So when I heard the story of Pad Man from Akshay Kumar sir, I wasn't moved with just the story but also by reality of it."

"Menstruation is a really relevant subject in women's day-to-day life and the same was with Toilet - Ek Prem Katha which dealt with sanitation facility issue in India's urban and rural areas. That's the reason I thought I should back such real and inspiring stories," she says.

What kind of a social change does she foresee after Pad Man? "When men will watch this film either with their daughters or wife or girlfriend, I think they will realise the hardships women go through during that phase and they will really value what women do and how they take care of their family, as generally, women don't express their problems openly."

Arora is also planning to remake of the critically acclaimed film Raat Aur Din (1967), which starred Nargis Dutt, Pradeep Kumar and Feroz Khan. "I am in discussion with Abbas-Mustan for that film. We would love to collaborate with each other."

Presently, Arora is working on close to eight films, including Pari, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, Kedarnath, Fanney Khan and Batti Gul Meter Chalu. Doesn't she feel the pressure with this kind of work load? "I think I have just lost touch with myself."