'My own marriage ended when I lost my son,' says The Sky Is Pink director Shonali Bose on drawing inspiration for the film

By Tanmayi Savadi

on September 11, 2019

The trailer of The Sky Is Pink featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohit Saraf was released on Tuesday and won hearts with its honest performance and a gut-wrenching emotional story. Not just fans of the actors but critics were also left in awe of the sneak peek. This Shonali Bose directorial is based on the late motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary, who breathed her last in 2015 after suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disorder in which scars are formed in the lung tissues. Touching more upon selecting this topic for her film, Shonali, during an interview with an International magazine, revealed that the tale is derived from her personal issues which include a failed marriage and loss of her son Ishan. She further added that she was 'very comfortable' with her son's death and wanted to explore the nature of a love story after the couple loses a child.

"For me as a filmmaker I was drawn to it for precisely that reason. I wanted to delve into that subject matter. I myself was very comfortable with my son’s death; at peace with it. I wanted to explore the couple’s relationship. I wanted to explore what happens to a love story, to a marriage, when faced with the loss of a child. My own marriage ended when I lost my son. 80% of people’s marriages end when they lose a child,” Shonali told during the interview.

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It's been many many weeks since Ishan has given me a sign that he's with me. I begged him for one about a week ago as I was struggling with a high stress situation. And night before last he came to me clearly and beautifully in my dream. I was the captain of a team and the first person I chose to be in it was Ishan - and he was this little boy. Exactly like in these photographs with me many moons ago in Goa. I knew it was him and not just a dream because his spirit has ALWAYS revealed itself to me exactly as this little boy and not any other age. In fact I had gone to a highly evolved spiritual medium/counselor in LA after Ishan's death (a gift from my friend Rayman Mathoda) - Eddie Cabral and he had told me - your son is a very old and wise spirit but his form is youthful, energetic and joyous. He is a little boy. So when Ishan the little 5-year-old boy took my hand and joined my team. I knew that Ishan, the spirit, was letting me know clearly - Mamma -I AM on your team. I AM always with you. I just didn't want to wake up from this dream and so I completely overslept till 12 30pm! Haven't done that since college days! It was just lovely to be reminded of what I know in my heart. But need to get little reassurances every now and then. Ishan has been at the absolute core of my film - The Sky is Pink. His death and his eternal love and presence in my sky - lead to this film. That's why I was so thrilled when a very dear mentor of mine - Marten Rabarts watched my rough cut recently and said he saw Ishan in every single frame of the film. I hope you catch a glimpse too - when you see it in theaters on October 11. #theskyispink #myishluinthesky

A post shared by Shonali Bose (@shonalibose_) on Jun 25, 2019 at 11:15am PDT

Speaking more about the person on whom the film is based on, Aisha, Shonali told the late speaker watched her last venture Margarita with a Straw starring Kalki Koechlin 30 times in a month and conveyed her desire to catch the film before she could breathe her last. But alas, this desire remained unfulfilled as she died two weeks post expressing her wish. The filmmaker further said it took her six months to locate Aisha's parents-Aditi and Niren, who wanted Shonali to make the film and tell their late daughter's tale to the world.

The Sky Is Pink is bankrolled by Roy Kapur Film, in association with S K Global and Priyanka's production house Purple Pebble Pictures. The film will be premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2019 and will open at theatres on October 11, 2019.

(Source: Variety/Instagram)