Exclusive! Filmmaker Aditya Kripalani on why he made internationally acclaimed film Not Today on the sensitive topic of suicide prevention

Aditya Kripalani, who earlier helmed films like Tikli and Laxmi Bomb and Tottaa Pataaka Item Maal, is currently tasting critical acclaim for his third indie-feature film, Not Today. It is based on the topical issue of suicide prevention. Not Today is about a 24-year-old girl from a very traditional Muslim family in Mumbai who goes to work secretly as a suicide prevention counsellor. On her first day, she encounters a 52-year-old man standing atop a high-rise wanting to jump. In trying to bring him down, she is forced to confront why she became a Suicide Prevention Counsellor in the first place and also share a lot of herself to get him to share and open up. The film stars Harsh Chhaya and Rucha Inamdar and is currently streaming on a Spanish OTT platform.

Talking about the idea of the film, Aditya shares, “Me and my wife have also lost people because of suicide. It’s been on my mind for a long time to write about suicide prevention centres in Mumbai. They don’t have money and are working under hard conditions. I wanted to tell how these centres are important in a modern society. I also wanted to write about how we can develop relationships with people who are not blood-related.”

Aditya, who makes films on social issues keeping the commercial aspect intact, explains, “It’s not challenging for me to blend a certain fast-paced narrative with issue-based things because I grew up watching Hindi cinema. My mother made me watch art house films on Doordarshan. I used to go to theatres as a kid to watch films like Jalwa and Mard. I even saw Rangeela 27 times in school. My family is also a bit socialist, so it comes from them too. It’s too natural for me to say things about society in an engaging manner.”

Not Today is doing the rounds in the International Festivals and won in prestigious festivals in different categories like El Ojo Cojo Film Festival: Honorable Mention of the Jury, Out Of The Can Film Festival, UK: Best Director, Best non-English speaking film, 2021, Best Poster Award, 23rd UK Asian Film Festival: the Festival Directors Award: High Commendation ‘The Ray of Hope Igniting Flame award for film on mental health’ and Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards (OIFFA), 2021: Special Jury Mention- Rucha Inamdar.