Tanuja Chandra on 19 years of Hope & A Little Sugar, “The story is more relevant now when the world is becoming more intolerant of differences amongst us” 19 : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

The underrated Tanuja Chandra has made some memorable movies in her time. She made this delicate sensitive but little-seen film about a Sikh family in the US after 9/11 called Hope & A Little Sugar, released in India on April 18, 2006. She made this film as a message of hope. The underrated film features Anupam Kher and Mahima Chaudhary as a Sikh father and daughter coping with the trauma of losing a dear one.

Tanuja Chandra on 19 years of Hope & A Little Sugar, “The story is more relevant now when the world is becoming more intolerant of differences amongst us”

One of your most underrated films Hope & A Little Sugar about life after 9/11 is 19

Hope & A Little Sugar is very close to my heart. Imagine a script that was sent to a couple of American writers for fact-checking and feedback, being liked enough for them to find funds to produce it!

The entire pre-production was done in absentia?

The entire pre-production was done from across the oceans from Mumbai in New York. The first time we met was when our team arrived in NY for the shoot. And then, completing the shoot in 35 days, after which, the entire Post Production was also done long-distance!

It must have been a unique experience

It was an adventure and a wild journey. Extremely tough too because that’s the nature of Independent filmmaking but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, ever.

The film is more relevant now that it was when you made it

The story, after 19 years, is possibly more relevant now, when the world is becoming more intolerant of differences amongst us, of different perspectives in culture and religion. I’m very glad I was able to make this film. I’m immensely proud of it.