Exclusive | 'It's our responsibility to dismantle this stigma': Tisca Chopra on breaking the taboo around menstruation

From performing in front of live audiences to starring on the silver screen, and from sparking thought-provoking discussions through her books to shaping narratives for films, Tisca Chopra has embraced storytelling in all its diverse forms throughout her career.

Born in Kasauli, Chopra was raised in an environment surrounded by books - a passion that often comes through in both her conversations and her work. Whether portraying the mother of a dyslexic child in Taare Zameen Par or writing a book on puberty and menstruation for young girls, her commitment to connecting with audiences through meaningful stories has earned her widespread appreciation.

‘I've always been interested in telling unusual stories'

Despite donning multiple hats in her career, it isn't the role that attracts this actor-writer-filmmaker, but the story she tells through these roles.

"I've always been interested in telling unusual stories that stay in your heart, which people want to go back to again and again. That's my interest," she says.

"I want to engage with the audience who I think are far more intelligent than me in a way that we have a conversation via the film that we make. So, whether it's an actor or a director or a producer or a writer, that's my interest," she adds.

This passion for storytelling hasn't developed recently. Reading and writing were integral parts of Chopra's childhood and shaped her interests significantly. And now her daughter is being influenced by the same habit.

The mother to the 11-year-old Tara says, "We just published by daughter's first book and she's not yet 12. What influences you as a child is what then comes out of you. You are a field of potential. You're a field of anything and everything."

"My dad has a couple of books published. My mom has also published a colouring book. Many people in my family have written books. It was always something around the house. So, it was bound to happen," she further reveals.

The Chopra family considers books to be a treasure trove of storytelling. But many books, including classics, are being adapted into films and that's how a lot of people are being introduced to these stories.

On that, Chopra says, "Most of the time, the films don't live up to the book. But in some cases, they not just live up, but probably exceed the expectations of the book like Gone with the Wind and Gone Girl.".

Why is it that those consuming the same story through these two mediums often believe that the storytelling in the book is better?

Chopra explains, "When you're reading the book, your imagination is at play. And there can be nothing more powerful than your own imagination. No filmmaker can fill in the colours as well as your brain can."

"I think writing is very, very poor in films currently. It's just more of the same things. When something spectacular and new comes out, everyone says "oh, we really like this". But then we go back to trying to make formula films. But if we go back to literature, we'll find a lot of good stuff," she adds.

Chopra has written two non-fiction books and screenplays for various short films. Her first feature film as a director is also in the making. Being a part of both these mediums, she strongly believes that the writing process is completely different.

Talking about the same, she says, "I think writing a screenplay for me is the joy of my life. I just can't stop thinking about it be it morning, evening, or night. After a point, once you've got your basics done like the plot, character maps, etc., and you know the structure i.e., Act 1, 2A, 2B, 3, then the screenplay starts telling you. You just say that I'm available today, I'm here to write, and I will write it."

She continues, "While writing a book, you have to keep one theme and go deeper and deeper into that idea and explore it from other angles."

While Chopra is a public figure who hasn't shied away from expressing her thoughts, some aspects of her life are still unknown to her audience.

"What is very dichotomous from what people see me as is my jhalli self. I'm not a regular jhalli, I'm an advanced jhalli. My pajamas have holes, my T-shirts have holes, and that's the way I write. So, every morning, if I'm not shooting, I write," she reveals.

"The other part is my mothering part. I love to tuck my daughter in at night because most of the day we are busy. Spending that half an hour, 40 minutes with her at night, asking her how her day went and what goes on in her life is very special," she adds.

‘We should take that responsibility and break that nonsense down'

Chopra tried to follow the process of delving deeper into a subject while writing books when she wrote ‘What's Up With Me', which was released in 2021. Aimed at young girls, it talks about puberty and all things that come with it, including period, which has been a taboo topic for far too long. Did the book ignite the conversations that she wanted it to?

"There was a reason I wrote that book," Chopra reveals, "I was once buying sanitary napkins at a chemist shop. There was a paan shop on the corner and somebody was buying gutka and cigarettes. When I asked the chemist for sanitary napkins, he wrapped the packet in a newspaper. Then he put that in a black bag. So, I thought there are people buying gutka and cigarettes, which are going to harm them for sure, and here's something that's a very natural occurrence in almost 50 percent of the population. This is wrong."

The writer continues, "Till children are an amorphous mass, it's all okay. The minute a girl hits puberty, restrictions start coming in. And as I was writing the book, I discovered a lot of completely unscientific, unreasonable and odd behaviours that we get into just because a girl has her period. Pickles do not spoil. You can step into the kitchen because even when you get your period, you're still hungry and you want to eat and you can still cook. There isn't any guilt or shame. It's biology. I've tried to talk about this as often as I can, but I think it's not often enough."

Breaking the stigma around this natural process can be achieved through public discourse, but more importantly, through conversations that start at home.

"I have started doing that in my home. For example, I make it a point to tell my dad, who is slightly old school, that I have my period if he asks me questions like why I am not going to the gym, etc. Initially, he used to feel a little like, why is she telling me this? But now he's okay. We should take that responsibility and break that nonsense down. He's also a product of his times. It's not that he's wrong, but if we know better, then we should be able to pass this idea backward and forward. And I'm trying my best," explains the Taare Zameen Par actor.

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‘Follow your craft'

Chopra has navigated her journey in the film industry and beyond with confidence, often opening up about important issues and choosing stories that challenge her and deviate from the mainstream definition of cinema. What drives her to be true to her craft?

"I think there's one piece of advice I've appreciated from a dear friend of mine (very senior and like a guide to me). He said, "Follow your craft and the money will follow." So, I've tried to follow that to the best of my ability," reveals Chopra.

Staying true to your job is important to be successful, an advice she would like to give youngsters who are trying to make a place for themselves in this world.

She adds, "What I'd like to share is what I've learned. Be really good at your job. Experiment with a whole lot of things and come into your work knowing that this is what you want to do. You might be in an allied field and might be trying to make your way into that. For example, if somebody wants to be an actor, be an assistant. Be around the field to get to where you need to get to. The minute someone is interested in their job, there's a special flavour that comes into their work. They love it so much that they'll look at it from all angles and they'll want to be around it. And they'll not be looking at the clock and saying, I need to check out now."