As a female producer, I advocate inclusivity at work: Deepshikha Deshmukh

Producer and entrepreneur Deepiksha Deshmukh heads the strategy and production efforts at Pooja Films. After working with her father, noted producer Vashu Bhagnani, Deshmukh made her debut as producer with her younger brother Jackky Bhagnani with ‘Sarabjit’ eight years ago. Since then, she has been backing some meaningful content which has some valid social messages. In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Deepshikha Deshmukh opens up about her production, filmmaking, her organic skincare brand Love Organically, family and much more.

When did you realise that you want to step into filmmaking?

I think I realised my passion for filmmaking very early on, having grown up in an environment which is surrounded by the magic of cinema. I always saw how director, producer, actor, actress, and the story come together to create a completely different fairy-tale on screen. That is something that really inspired me to get into filmmaking. The first film which I produced with my brother Jackky was ‘Sarabjit’. When that story was narrated to me, it struck a chord. It was about the strong and emotional relationship between a brother and a sister and to what extent the sister went to get her brother released from a prison in Pakistan. It was such an emotional feeling. It was quite a different genre from the films that our production house had produced before, so we chose to produce this film.

What has been your company’s criteria to choose projects over the years?

The criteria for our company has always revolved around selecting projects that have compelling narratives and collaboration with excellent talents. We also have to check the commercial viability of a project before going ahead with it. We are always entertaining audiences while delivering meaningful stories. We always want to leave behind the legacy of cinema and stories that people will relate to and the stories that have a larger impact on people.

Pooja Films has been in the business for more than three decades, and people expect a certain kind of cinema from them. Does it add to the pressure of responsibility?

Yes, there is a legacy to uphold. My father has made some of the most entertaining films of the 90’s. We uphold that responsibility and embrace it wholeheartedly. It motivates us to maintain high standards and continue delivering entertainment that the audience expects and deserves.

Film business is a very risky business and sometimes you don’t know what will work and what will not work. How do you deal with situations when things don’t go as planned?

We always accept setbacks and approach setbacks with resilience. Learning from every experience and adapting our strategies accordingly to navigate the dynamic nature of this industry. We stand by this.

What kind advice did your father give you when you decided to step into this business?

My father has always been my guiding light in life. He has imparted invaluable wisdom to me. His advice is always centred on maintaining strong work ethics, fostering genuine relationships, and staying true to your creative vision. He has always believed that one has to work, no matter how small that work is, you have to do it yourself, you also have to ensure that your team and everybody is happy along the way. All the work that you set out to achieve has to be accomplished.

Apart from film production, you also have a skin care brand. Could you tell us about your thought behind launching it?

I took the decision to launch a skin care brand because we identified the gap in the market back in 2016, when there was not enough in the natural skin care world. We are launching my brand Love Veda (under the Love Organically banner) in Tier 2 and 3 markets. It embodies our commitment to excellence and belief in empowering individuals to look and feel their best. With these luxury soaps laced with Ayurvedic wisdom, we want to ensure that each and every person has the right to good health and wellness.

You are married to Member of Parliament Dhiraj Deshmukh for more than a decade and are a mother of two children, besides being a producer and an entrepreneur. How do you maintain balance between your married life, kids and work?

Balancing multiple roles can be challenging, but it is extremely essential to prioritise and delegate your work effectively. I believe in open communication, whether it is my family or team, setting realistic expectations and practising self-care is important. Additionally, I always surround myself with a supportive team that is adaptable to change, it is crucial to maintain harmony between personal and professional life. As a female producer, I also believe and advocate inclusivity and flexibility at the work place. I think that is extremely important.

I always finish all my duties as a mother first thing in the morning, whether it is packing the tiffin boxes or my kids, sending them off to school, ensuring whatever is to be done for the school, and then I set out about doing my home duties and work. Of course, my personal and professional work spill into each other. There are a lot of guilty patches, where sometimes you forget homework or HLT, like they call it now. But I think kids make up more for it.

To top it all, I married my best friend Dhiraj, and when you have a supportive and understanding partner, things become easier. When he is busy at work, I take over, and he takes over a larger part of the responsibilities when I am busy at work; that is the understanding between us. It has helped us to keep our kids loved and they don’t miss us when we are away.