'Don't want to direct Bollywood films'

Nisha Pahuja, the director of award-winning documentary The World Before her, says she is keen to direct more such real stories instead of going for a career in Bollywood.

The India-born Canadian filmmaker has previously directed documentaries Diamond Road and Bollywood Bound.

“I will never direct a Bollywood film, until and unless it has Shah Rukh Khan in it. Then, surely I will make a Hindi film, otherwise, I have no plans to venture into Bollywood as I like directing real subjects,” Nisha told PTI.

Nisha may want to steer clear of Bollywood but she is all praise for Dev D director Anurag Kashyap, who turned presenter for the documentary.

"His backing had a tremendous impact on the film. When a director like him is supporting your film, people expect it to be of some quality and level. Anurag is a wonderful person and has been the best thing to have happened to the film in India,” she said.

The documentary, which won an award for the best documentary feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2012, explores the complex and conflicting environment for young girls in India by profiling Ruhi Singh, who aspires to become Miss India, and Prachi Trivedi, a Hindu nationalist with Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad.

 “I started with making a documentary on Miss India pageant and in the process of finding for groups who oppose the competition, I got Durga Vahini and the young girls who join the camps,” she said.