Mumbai, Oct 16 (IANS) Actress-turned-producer Debinna Bonnerjee believes women are sometimes taken less seriously in professional spaces, including the entertainment industry.
The actress also feels somehow things are gradually changing. The actress, who has ventured into film production with husband Gurmeet Choudhary, said that how one handles situations and communicates their expectations also makes a difference.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Debinna Bonnerjee opened up about the challenges of being a female producer, her experience of understanding the filmmaking process from behind the camera and Gurmeet’s decision to create a film that would allow him to explore his romantic side as an actor.
Asked whether she felt she faced additional challenges in the industry as a female producer, Debinna said, “I think it happens everywhere. Women are sometimes taken a little less seriously. People feel that they will make the decisions, but I think things are changing. Ultimately, it is about how you handle situations. I am not alone here. Gurmeet and I are together, so I think the challenge is less.”
She added, “Our other producer, Rewa Creatives, is also led by a woman. I feel we are very strong. We put our thoughts across very clearly. What we want is what we want, and there should not be any compromise.”
Debinna further spoke about the importance of giving opportunities to actors who have the potential to prove themselves, even if they do not necessarily fit conventional expectations. She believes that when someone has the talent and determination to make a mark, they deserve a chance.
Speaking about her experience as a producer and whether it has helped her understand an actor’s struggles better, Debinna admitted that her perspective had changed considerably after stepping into the role.
“Struggle of an actor? I feel acting is actually a very easy job. But my respect for producers has definitely increased. As actors, we never really bothered about what the producer was going through.
“Now I genuinely feel that acting is a difficult job as well. We complain about every little thing, ‘He did this to me’, ‘This didn’t happen’, ‘I didn’t get my food on time.’ But I understand now that so many people are working behind the scenes to make sure everything is perfect.”
She added, “If anything goes wrong, the entire rhythm of the film can get affected. So, as an actor, you have to adjust a little. Producers are constantly trying to keep everything under control and make sure the actors can perform at their best.”
Talking about the idea behind the film, Debinna said the decision to produce a project that would allow Gurmeet to explore his romantic side came from the actor himself.
She explained that while he enjoys action, he also has a beautiful romantic side that he wanted to bring to the screen.
“I think the idea of making a film for himself came to Gurmeet’s mind. I was watching him and he was very restless because he knew the kind of film he wanted to do. He is a romantic hero, but whenever he was getting work on OTT or elsewhere, there was a lot of action involved.
“Gurmeet enjoys action as well, but he has a beautiful romantic side. His eyes, his face, everything speaks. So he felt that the kind of script he was looking for was not coming to him. When you don’t get what you want, very few people have the courage to make it for themselves.
“That decision was taken by Gurmeet, and I supported him. I would never take credit for saying that I thought of it for him. He thought of it himself, and as always, I supported him.”
Talking about Debinna, the actress ventures into production with the movie, ‘Tum Mere Ho’, an intense romantic drama featuring Gurmeet Choudhary and actress Isha Malviya. The film marks Gurmeet’s debut as a producer under his home production banner, DebGuru Films, in collaboration with Reva Creative House.
The movie also marks Isha Malviya’s Bollywood debut, and features Anushkaa Luhar and Shaan Grover in significant roles.
‘Tum Mere Ho’ is scheduled to release on October 23, 2026.
–IANS
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