How Anushka Sharma Is Using Her Banner Clean Slate Filmz To Back Content Driven Cinema

Written by Niharika Nayak, BA (Media & Communication)  • 

When Anushka Sharma starred in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, many audience members were impressed by this bubbly, effervescent fresh face and waited to see what she’d do next. While the film performed well at the box office, a lot of critics weren’t impressed with Anushka. However, Anushka proved all the haters wrong when she starred in Band Baaja Baarat opposite Ranveer Singh. The role was credited as being one of the actress’s’ best performances of all time and the film emerged as a sleeper hit. From then on, Anushka continued to act in many other successful films before she decided to take her career a step further. Here’s how she went from being a much-loved actress to a respected and gutsy entrepreneur:

Team Work Makes The Dream Work

Anushka and her ex-merchant marine brother, Karnesh Sharma decided to start their own production house. The pair named the production house as Clean Slate Filmz. Both siblings shared a vision to back genuine talent. They believed in allowing their audiences to have access to exciting and hot new talent. The pair started out by co-producing Anuhska’s film, NH10. Anushka has always been very outspoken about taking risks and her brother has always supported her journey in that regard.

When asked about the process of working on NH10, Karnesh said, “Our first project, NH10 is taking shape so well, that it gave us a lot of confidence to put things into 5th gear under our banner.” Anushka herself is someone who has worked very very hard to make a name for herself in the film industry. The actress doesn’t come from a film background and joined the modeling industry at the ripe young age of 15 before discovering her passion for acting.

NH10

Image: Instagram @anushkasharma

NH10 was shot on a budget of 2.1 million US dollars and due to its success at the box office, it raked in over 5 million dollars. The film was even featured at an international festival in Beijing where it had an overwhelmingly positive impact. The film had a bold storyline and featured a lot of scenes that some might have deemed violent. However, the incredible storyline, direction, and acting is what made critics laud the performance.

NH10 was the culmination of three production houses, Phantom films, Clean Slate Filmz, and Eros International. It drew inspiration from real life and addresses the problem of “honor killing”. Honor killings are prevalent all across the country and cases rarely come to light. The film involved a lot of research into Haryanvi culture. The cast observed some issues while shooting the film, namely, a gathering of locals decided to get rowdy and fire their guns. However, unperturbed, Anushka used this scary incident to channel her fear into her role.

Pari And Other Ventures

Image: Instagram @anushkasharma

The next film to be produced under their banner was the film, Philauri. Although the film did end up performing averagely at the box office, fans were still eager for their next film, Pari. Their next venture delved into the horror genre and critics were impressed with the duo for exploring a genre not often breached in Hindi cinema. The film received very positive reviews and Anushka was praised for her acting chops.

But Clean Slate Filmz doesn’t just stick to making movies. The production house has also moved onto the web-space and produced a series with Amazon Prime called Paatal Lok. The series is described as a police-based investigative thriller and has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews. It was released onto the online platform on the 15th of May, right during the peak of India’s Lockdown.

Bulbul

Image: Instagram @anushkasharma

The latest film produced by Clean Slate Filmz is called Bulbul. Taking cues from Pari, it deals with a strong female lead and her journey from an innocent child to a powerful and commanding “Thakurani”. The film featured sensitive topics like child marriage, marital rape, domestic violence, pedophilia, and other taboo topics. Despite many people finding some scenes a little graphic, the film has been gaining popularity due to the fact that it holds a harsh mirror to society and showcases how women used to be (and still are) treated as property.

Image: Twitter

Set in the late 1800s, the film was released on Netflix on the 24th of June and featured a fresh cast along with seasoned actor, Rahul Bose. Even acclaimed cult film director, Anurag Kashyap praised the film and tweeted out his appreciation for it. He ended his Twitter thread by praising Anushka and Karnesh for empowering talented filmmakers.

It’s wonderful to see someone who had to struggle their way into the industry help others like themselves. Anushka and her brother seem to have a keen eye for talent and hence have produced exceptionally outperforming films. We can’t wait to see what Clean Slate Filmz has in store for us next! Do tell us which Anushka Sharma backed film was your favorite in the comments below.

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