After the screening of her film at the recently concluded IFFI (International Film Festival of India) in Goa, NANDITA DAS tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that since today's children are growing up on a diet of reality shows on television, it is imperative that we should cater to them on an intelligent level.

After Nandita Das turned a director with ‘Firaaq', she has not quit acting. "I am busy with two films up my sleeves, like ‘Mirch' directed by Vinay Shukla and ‘Tera Kya Hoga Johnny' directed by Sudhir Mishra as an actor.

When I look back at my career as an actor, I confesses that considering the fact that I did not even think that I would do a second film after my debut with ‘Fire', I feel that I have come a long way, as far as acting is concerned."

Direction, according to Nandita, was the most challenging experience of her life. "I enjoyed every phase of direction though I should say that it was very stressful.

The reason that I did not cast myself in any role in the film was that as a director, I had to take decision at every level and hence wanted to focus completely on direction, though at one stage I had almost planned to take up the role, which Tisca had done in the film."

Nandita admitted that her approach as a director was, "to try to strike a balance between the form and the content as far as her film was concerned, though we generally focus a lot on either the form or the story".

Nandita added, "I do not want to indulge in a mud slinging ball game but the bitter truth is that Percept guys, the production house which made my film did not bother to market a serious film like that of mine all over the world properly and ended up mauling its prospects worldwide.

It is one thing to send films to film festivals, but quite another ball game to market it the world over. Since the DVDs of my film were released without any fanfare; people still ask me when ‘Firaaq' is going to be released in theatres."

Though her film dealt with the Godhra violence and its after effects, Nandita said that she did not show violence, because it was a conscientious decision on her part not to show violence.

"I wanted to show the prejudice with which people live in. I did not want to make a political film but a humane film. I chose not to show the overdramatic story. People say that if a male had directed the film, he would certainly have put in a lot of blood and gore."

Nandita said excitedly that the best compliment that she will always cherish as a director was that of Naseeruddin Shah's. "After the first day's shooting was over, Naseer told me in front of the entire unit that it did not look like it was my first day's shoot as a director, because I was fully prepared with every shot division".

As the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society, Nandita Das wants to make some systematic changes. "I feel that today's children are growing up on a diet of reality shows on television and hence we should cater to them on an intelligent level.

It is sad that in India we do not really make good children's films since most of the so called children's films made in India tend to be preachy. It is high time that we created a marketing model. It takes three months to soak into the system. I cannot work magic"

When asked whether she has commissioned any established filmmaker to make films for the Children's Film Society, Nandita quipped, "We need to clean up our system.

We have good writers. Why cannot we create good content for children's films in India? I have spoken to filmmakers like Gulzar saab and Vishal Bhardwaj. They are talking to various writers about to make films for the Children's Film Society. Vishal had made ‘Makdi' and Gulzar saab had made ‘Kitaab' long back.

Both the films were lapped up by the children. I am glad that a sensitive filmmaker like Shaji Karun is keen on making a film for The Children's Film Society".