Dil Dosti Aur Dogs actress-producer Masumeh Makhija: ‘If you can find love, you will solve every problem’

“I had to be hands-on in every department”, says actress-producer Masumeh Makhija about her latest release Dil Dosti Aur Dogs streaming on JioHotstar. Alongside Masumeh, the film has an ensemble cast of Neena Gupta, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Sharad Kelkar, Ehan Bhat, Tridha Chaudhury and some adorable dogs. In a candid chat, the actress-producer talked about the film, her role, the production legacy of her family, and her return to acting after ten years.

Dil Dosti Aur Dogs… What has been your relationship with these elements?

Masumeh Makhija: They have a very special place in my heart. I grew up with many animals in my house. My sister was a dog lover. I have had dogs in my house as my pets and child. That’s how the film also came around and people who associated with the film also came with the same thought – the selfless love that an animal has for a human. Dil has got a lot to do with love, heart, and heartbreaks and my friends (Dosti) have managed to get me through places dark, light, sad, happy.

The film also stems from the same sentiments. It’s rare to find selfless love. It’s a lovely message to give people that if you can find love, you will solve every problem in your life. You need to have just a little bit of patience, love and understanding for each other. Dogs are a man’s best friend. The subject was dear to me and it was a story that needed to be told. When you watch the film, you’ll realize how dogs help these humans solve different emotions.

Tell us about the character you play in Dil Dosti Aur Dogs.

Masumeh Makhija: There are four stories interwoven together. These are difficult things to have a conversation about. My character’s name is Ekta and Kunaal Roy Kapur plays my husband in the film. It’s their journey. They’re not able to conceive, and what does that do to them, how do they start losing one another because they can’t communicate and talk about deeper emotions? Then comes a bundle of joy (a dog) in their life and shows them they can be nicer to each other. All four stories are social statements about the people of India as we know them today.

People struggling to communicate with each other in this hyperconnected world through technology. It’s as paradoxical as it can be. Your thoughts?

Masumeh Makhija: People are on their phones or even when they’re together, they’re watching TV. There’s no actual conversation to understand each other and what we’re going through. As simple as how was your day? My parents’ generation did not have smartphones. With smartphones and social media, people look for outside validation. We’re looking for a way to not connect, actually. That was partly a reason to do this film. We used an animal as a medium. If you remove the barriers and just have a conversation, things fall into place.

You come from a lineage of film producers (PLA Entertainment) who produced films like Chashme Buddoor, Jalwa, Hero Hiralal, and Khatta Meetha. Was getting into production always a thought at the back of your mind even when you were acting?

Masumeh Makhija: I have been in the cinema industry for a very long time. I started as a child actor. I have learned and grown as a person. I like every aspect of cinema. It takes so many people to make a film. So, yes, it was always at the back of my mind that I’d get into one of the aspects of filmmaking. I grew up in a family of producers. They were the first distributors to take Indian movies overseas. My company Creative Tribe is also a subsidiary of PLA Entertainment. The movies they made were slice-of-life and light-hearted.

Please take us through the making of the film.

Masumeh Makhija: It might sound repetitive but everyone associated with the film out of pure love. From the actors to the DOP Ayanaka Bose and other technicians, everyone we spoke to and narrated the story came on board purely out of love for the subject. For that to happen, I had to be hands-on in every department. The fact that Jio also backed this film was also because something like this had not been made in a while. It is a risk to back a film which is about animals and love. It’s a film you can watch with your family and have a smile at the end of the day. But at the same time, you’re seeing a relevant subject. When you watch the film, you’ll realize that each of us knows people like these. Although it talks about topics difficult to talk about, it is not preachy.

Your return to acting has been with de-glam roles in 3 Storeys and Bhagwan Bharose, and now this. Was that a conscious choice or a happy accident?

Masumeh Makhija: I don’t choose a role because it’s glam or de-glam. I’m happy to dress up and I’m happy to not have any make-up too. I do a film if I want to be a part of a story or I feel that it needs to be told. By god’s grace, I can choose these roles. I think whether I can push myself as an actor or not. As a producer, can I do something more? Bhagwan Bharose happened because of director Shiladitya Bora and the message his film was giving. I had never done anything like that before. I’m glad that I did it and the film received acclaim at film festivals.

You started your acting career with some interesting titles – Maqbool, Woh Lamhe, Dus Kahaniyaan. But then came a decade-long gap before you returned to acting. What happened?

Masumeh Makhija: I travelled a lot. I started acting when I was a child. Banegi Apni Baat (1994) was my debut. I always knew I wanted to be a part of cinema one way or the other. When you are doing it for a long time, you also wonder what the world has to offer, right? I wanted to explore the world. I lived in London, Canada and other parts of the world. I did different courses and educated myself about different things. I am officially a trained chef. You need to grow as a person. I wanted to explore the world so I took that break. I came back when I wanted to come back to acting. There’s nothing dark or sinister behind that gap [chuckles].

What did this experience do for you as a person?

Masumeh Makhija: My takeaway was that it was important to do that. You need to learn to be happy by yourself. When you have the fortune to go out there and try different things, embrace it. Don’t walk with blinders. Become a better human being. When I took that break, I realized everything I wanted to do to grow and groom myself to become the person I am today.

What are your upcoming projects?

Masumeh Makhija: A lot of projects will be out soon, more as a producer than as an actor because that’s what I have been focusing on. But I’ll be able to tell you about that a little later as there are NDAs signed and official announcements are yet to be made. As a producer, I want to tell great, entertaining stories. My family made films that were new to those times and some are still considered cult classics. I also want to tell stories that are in similar space.