Let’s unwind the less spoken stories of an Assam-born director, Reema Kagti, and her journey from a small town of Assam to the city of dreams, Mumbai.
Noreen Borooah
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Reema Kagti, or Reema Kakati, is a film director, screenwriter, and debut actor. Her name is related to some of the most famous movies in Bollywood, like Zindegi Na Milegi Dobaara, Talaash, Gully Boy, etc. It is likely that you have viewed these films as well. Yet we know little about this creative mind behind these movies. More so that she is Assamese!
Reema Kagti’s love and dedication towards films is the reason why she is known as one of the most talented filmmakers of the industry. Her ever-humorous and sarcastic ways of answering interviews and her assertive stance towards being a hardworking woman in the industry make her a figure to be ever appreciated and idolized. Let’s explore her cinematic journey and how she established herself as a successful filmmaker in Bollywood.
Movies, books and a fun childhood
Born in the lap of the lush green village of Tinsukia district, Borhapjan. Reema Kagti grew up as quite a mischievous kid, agree both Julie (Reema’s elder sister) and Reema herself. As a child she enjoyed outdoor play, skating, cycling, and fishing being among them. She was an enthusiastic and extroverted kid, brought up with two sisters.
The picturesque village life and scenic sites of tea plantations contributed a great deal to Reema’s imagination as she ventured into reading English classics, like Blyton. These were the seeds to her cinematic journey as she started writing short stories. Before she knew it, the seed sprouted as one of her short stories got published in the comic Tinkle. And there was no going back. The Kagti family also used to go to weekly movie screenings, which was more than an encouragement for Reema.
Reema did her schooling at a boarding school in Loreto Convent in Shillong and then from Delhi Public School in New Delhi’s RK Puram. She moved to Mumbai in search of more freedom with her sister Julie and got enrolled at Mumbai’s Sophia College for Women. Sophia College’s film club opened the doors to films for her.
Journey Begins in Bollywood
Reema Kagti’s Bollywood career is so extensive that it cannot be fully covered by a single blog. Additionally, her contributions to movies will undoubtedly keep drawing in viewers. As usual, Reema will be showered with accolades, honors, and recognition in the days ahead.
As Reema crossed the threshold of the film club in 1997, Rajat Kapoor became her mentor in filmmaking on the sets of “Private Detective: One Plus One Two.”. And here is where one of the most famous duos of Bollywood met: Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar. Their friendship hit it off as they worked as assistant directors on Kaizad Gustad’s film “Bombay Boys,” 1998.
Hereafter, she met Zoya’s brother, Farhan Akhtar, and they partnered in the production company Excel Entertainment. Reema Kagti has worked as the assistant director on films like Dil Chahta Hai and Lagaan, following which she got her big break when Excel Entertainment bought her script.
She finally debuted as a director in the 2005 film “Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd,” which was loved and critiqued alike. And here the cinematic journey of Reema Kagti began.
Also read: Film Journey of Adil Hussain: From Small Town to Big Screen
Reema Kagti as a Filmmaker
Reema Kagti has given many cinematic masterpieces to the industry; to discuss them all will be a task for sure, but some of her remarkable films remain favorites of you and me.
Her film career may have started in 2007 with the movie Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, but she became even more well-known with the release of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011, which was based on the Yolo (You Only Live Once) concept. Young people loved the film’s message and its cinematography, which caused it to blow up the box office.
Kagti and Zoya Akhtar collaborated on each of these projects while working together as writers and screen players. However, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’s story is so skillfully crafted that it has and still appeals to young people of all generations.
From here, Kagti was inseparable from films; she gave Bollywood another incredible film in 2012, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, a psychological neo-noir thriller. A film that delves into the insight of a grieving father. And the genre neo-noir was revived in Bollywood by the makers Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar. Since neo-noir was a film genre less explored by other filmmakers, this film pulled in immense fame and appreciation from viewers.
Following this, Kagti worked on several films that were extraordinary hits in the industry; her work was also diverse as she traversed from thrillers to family dramas, romance, and even comedy. And by now, Kagti has made a unique name and place in films and Bollywood.
In 2019, when she penned the screenplay for Gully Boy, she made yet another groundbreaking film. A film that was both emotionally appealing and a live rap concert experience. Reema and Zoya deserve all the credit for creating yet another masterpiece.
An Assamese by heart, forever
Reema Kagti’s journey is not just any story; it’s a story of everlasting passion and love for the things she did as a child and continued to do despite all odds. In one of her interviews she recalled how her father was not very encouraging of her career choice.
But soon he changed his views after he saw “Lagaan,” a film that has been and will be the heart and soul of every Indian, where Kagti had been the assistant director, and she recalls how her father said that she can pursue her career if she makes films like that.
And even after being involved with Hindi cinema and spending most of the time out of Assam, she always remembers her roots and embraces her ethnicity. In the same interview, she revealed how she enjoys visiting her family in Assam. She is still deeply rooted to her land, as she enjoys Assamese delicacies every day in her house.
Her less frequent media presence and humility towards everyone she works with make her a person with lesser-known facts and more established questions.
Hello! I am Noreen Borooah, a psychology student, storyteller, and podcast host. I am from Guwahati, Assam, and currently I am studying at Delhi University. Being a storyteller and an Assamese, I am here to tell you the untold stories of Assam. My email: noreen@diversityassam.com.
