Tanuja Chandra is a bundle of energy, and her exuberance easily rubs on to people around her. She hails from a family Bollywood knows well. Sister Anupama Chopra is a journalist who has penned books on Sholay and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Brother-in-law Vidhu Vinod Chopra is riding high on the success of Lage Raho Munnabhai [Images], while brother Vikram Chandra is an author who has just completed his latest novel, Sacred Games.

Before she entered Bollywood as Mahesh Bhatt's [Images] assistant in Zakhm, Tanuja directed television serials like Zameen [Images] Aasman and Mirch Masala. She co-wrote the Pooja Bhatt-starrer Tamanna, which won the National Award for best film in the social category. She also co-wrote the screenplay of Dil To Pagal Hai for Yash Raj Films before going on to make her directorial debut with Dushman in 1998.

Tanuja talks to Priyanka Jain about Zindaggi Rocks [Images], which releases this week. Interestingly, her other film Hope And A Little Sugar also premieres at the South Asian International Film Festival on Friday.

Tell us about Zindaggi Rocks.

Most stories start with one basic image. The image I started with was that of an urban rock star. I thought of a single mother who is a rock star. When you think of the term, you associate it with a guitar, torn jeans, a sexy woman. You don't necessarily associate her with being a good mother. Sushmita Sen [Images] is not a sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll kind of rock star. She is a sexy, successful singer, with a son. She lives with her mother and mother's twin sister (Maushumi Chatterjee), who fight constantly. Then there's her manager (Kim Sharma [Images]) who is like her sister. It is an unusual family and they love each other.

We expanded this image to create the screenplay. She meets a doctor (Shiney Ahuja [Images]), who is her opposite. He is shy, while she is this vivacious woman. They fall in love, and then comes a twist in the tale.

Tell us about the making of the film.

Writing a screenplay is a sad, lonely process. For months, you look at your computer screen, wondering what to write. From one scene begins a long journey. It's amazing when you look at your first draft of about 150 pages. You can't believe you have done it. Then, you write subsequent drafts. Someday, you have to abandon writing and start shooting.

There is no glamour in direction. It's sheer hard work and persistence. It's about not giving up, not letting the world tell you that you don't know anything just because your last film didn't work.

Then comes the casting. I have heard so many 'No's in my life during this process. When you write the screenplay, you think of an actor who suits the role best. You then approach him, narrate the script, convince him and talk about money. If it's a big budget film, you get big stars, only then will people put in money. If it's a modest budget, you can experiment with the cast. If the actors you approach are not available for whatever reason, you go to the next best options.

Then, the character's look and costumes. During pre-production, you also look for shooting locations. I try and shoot within one or two schedules. Sometimes it extends, depending on how busy the actors are. You then record the music. After the shoot comes post-production, where one can completely change the film. There's sound design, visual effects, the background score, dubbing. Finally come the promotional strategies.

From Dushman and Sangharsh to Sur, you have always made women-centric films. Zindaggi Rocks appears to walk down the same path.

Yes, it revolves around Sushmita. Shiney narrates the story. His is a significant part. Sush grabs your attention more obviously on screen though, because of the way she is portrayed.

Sushmita complained that women directors give more attention to male actors.

That's her favourite joke; don't believe it! It's silly. I have a tendency to be tough on my crew and assistants but soft on the actors. Actors have a job to do -- a job that requires heart. I can't be tough or aggressive, or they may get shaky and that will destroy what I want to achieve. I pay attention to all my actors. I love to make people perform.

Tell us about the movie's budget and locations.

It's a modest budget, so we didn't have the luxury of shooting for many days or at expensive locations. For Sushmita's house, we shot in Kamshed, three hours from Mumbai. We also shot in Alibaug and Delhi [Images].

Zindaggi Rocks is your first film to receive no cuts from censors. You weren't as lucky with your other films.

Zakhm, where I assisted Mahesh Bhatt, was a movie with political connotations. The Censor Board has always had a problem with any political movie, which is sad. Whatever is shown is one version of the truth and one must constantly question the way our society runs, especially when you are talking about riots or Hindu-Muslim issues. In Zakhm, we had Hindu fundamentalists and the Censor Board felt there would be a problem, as if there are no fundamentalists in the country! The film had to be recommended to the revising committee in Delhi. We were told to change the saffron headbands, which we made black digitally.

When such things happen, you can argue and fight with the Censor Board but, beyond a point, you have to release the film. So, you listen to them.

Dushman was given an A certificate, but I was asked to edit some parts to get a U certificate for it to be shown on Doordarshan. We should be encouraged to question the way we live. On one hand, they say Hindi movies are juvenile, they are so far away from life, they don't ask any intelligent questions. The minute a film does, it will be banned. The Censor Board will say it's too sensitive; that it might upset people.

The point is to upset people. Only then will there be a debate.

Two of your films are out on the same day in two countries...

My English film Hope And A Little Sugar will premiere in New York at the South Asian International Film Festival. It is a Muslim-Sikh love story with 9/11 as the backdrop. It stars Anupam Kher [Images], Mahima Choudhry and newcomer Amit, a student of National School of Drama. The pre-production was done via email. I then gathered 25 people, including the actors, art director, costume designer and cameraperson, and went to New York. That was the first time I met the producer.

We shot for 25 days, then did the post-production via the Internet over a year. It is an achievement for any director to have two films releasing across two continents on the same day.