Source : Hindustan Times
Journalist Anupama Chopra and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s daughter Zuni Chopra talks to us about books, films and her favourite film from her father’s filmography.
She’s all of 17, and yet, well on her way to literary stardom. Zuni Chopra, daughter of film journalist Anupama Chopra and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra takes time to open up about a myriad of topics, but she makes sure she’s engaging and witty.
“With school work nowadays, and also, with the college applications period starting soon, I am busy with that. But I make sure to write articles for various publications regularly,” says Zuni, who recently came out with her second book, The Island of the Day Before, a collection of stories, flash fiction and poetry. Her first book, The House that Spoke was published last year.
Her aim behind writing the book, she tells us, was to “show stories which are timeless, and to which we can relate in the modern world”. “Now that I am growing up, I just wanted to show how these stories grow up with us. My first and second book, are very different, there are no connecting themes. My first novel was set in Kashmir, this one is various kinds of genres,” she says.
Zuni’s parents might be deeply involved with films, but she is far away from it. “I aspire to take up writing as a full-time profession. I love to do it, as it’s important for people of my age to find ways to tell stories. My parents have been a big influence on me, and more than their professions, it’s their encouragement, as it would be with any other parent.”
Since she is a writer and also an avid reader, what does she feel about the whole books versus e-reader debate as a millennial? “It totally depends, because the e-reader is an incredible invention, but the feeling of being in a bookstore, surrounded by books is one of my most favourite things in the world. After several years, an actual physical copy would be far more personal than an e-reader could ever be,” says Zuni.
Of course, it would be unfair if we don’t ask her about her father’s films at all. Vidhu has been the man behind several big films such as 3 Idiots, PK, Lage Raho Munnabhai, and more recently, Sanju. Did she watch it?
“Yes. I thought the way (actor) Ranbir Kapoor played the character was amazing. How he played Sanjay Dutt, the way he acted. Like for example, when he just stood it was like ‘Oh, Sanjay Dutt actually stands like that!’. In the entire movie, the way he floats through the character, and how he projected it, it really baffled me.”
And which film is her favourite from her father’s filmography? “It’s tough, and I know it’s gonna be clichéd, but it’s 3 Idiots, because I saw the effect it had on my classmates. The story had such an impact, I saw my classmates open up and explore, and learn to take risks. That’s what I think people of my age really need to understand. There’s the fact that people often think movies are just for entertainment, but they have a real impact on people’s lives also,” says Zuni.
