Responding to Dalit author and journalist Yashica Dutt’s claims of Made in Heaven creators appropriating her life and not giving her due credit, director Neeraj Ghaywan, in a recent interview, said that the character of Pallavi Menke in episode 5 of the series’ season 2 is based on him. He also stated that art reflects reality otherwise “it’ll become hollow.”
Recently Yashica took to her official X handle (formerly Twitter) to say that the makers appropriated her story for one of their episodes and didn’t give her credit or recognition for it.
Responding to it, in a joint letter, the show’s makers—Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Alankrita Shrivastava and Neeraj Ghaywan—had denied Yashica’s claims. “We are deeply disturbed with the misleading reports and comments in the context of author Yashica Dutt claiming formal credit for her ‘contribution’ to Made in Heaven…” the letter read.
Now, talking about how they formulated the storyline of Episode 5 ‘The Heart Skipped A Beat’, Neeraj told mid-day, “The writers, Alankrita, Reema and Zoya had an idea about where they wished to go [with the episode]—about an accomplished person, from the marginalised, Dalit community, who’s received love, adulation, internationally. But it is still not off the clutches of caste.”
“Which hearkens back to BR Ambedkar. This man was the most well-read in our country. And when he was coming back to India, after his education abroad [reading law at Columbia University], he expected garlands to welcome him. But he was thrown out of the lodge he was staying. That’s when it hit him that no matter what you do, the intergenerational trauma is not going to escape you,” he added.
Pointing out the similarities between the character and him, Neeraj said, “When she [Pallavi Menke] talks about using a [caste-neutral] last name, Kumar—that’s me. Soon as you tell someone your full name, there is endemic scrutiny in our country. People want to know where you are from, location, gotra, caste… It’s genuinely scarring. In my passport, my last name is still Kumar. But I’ve reclaimed Ghaywan. It’s been five years.”
In 2018, Ghaywan had publicly owned his Dalit identity while responding to director Vivek Agnihotri’s post on X (formerly Twitter). He said, “A lot of the press picked that up. My extended family were still masking [their Dalit identity].
“They felt miffed, that it’s public now, and everybody knows they’re related to me. Which is what we used for Pallavi’s brother’s track [in the MIH episode]. And that boy’s character is also right about having to live with India’s reality.”
Neeraj added, “Art reflects reality. And if it doesn’t, then it’ll become hollow. [What] if you tell Truffaut, look at all the post-modern kitsch that you’ve shown—why have you not attributed? You have to see things through the lens of art.”
Previously, Neeraj had expressed gratitude for the love that was being showered to Episode 3 and 5 especially. In a long Instagram post he had also mentioned Yashica and thanked her. He had written, “A large part of the discourse is from my own personal experiences that writers @zoieakhtar, @reemakagti1 and @alankrita601 drew upon. @suraj.yengde has been a personal inspiration and Sujatha Gidla’s book, Ants Among Elephants, has been part of the research for us. Bhante Vappa, the monk who officiated the ceremony and guided me (thanks to my DA, @mattoonik to have introduced me to him). Thanks to @yashicadutt and her book (Coming Out as a Dalit) which made the term "coming out" become part of the popular culture lexicon for owning one's Dalit identity. This inspired Pallavi's interview section in the episode.”
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