Kanika Dhillon Discusses Breaking Genre Rules and the Success of Gandhari

Kanika Dhillon has consistently gravitated toward stories that refuse to sit inside familiar boxes, featuring genre-bending narratives and morally complicated characters. Discussing her work, Dhillon stated that her stories do not conform to a certain template, often pushing boundaries across black, white, and grey zones.

For Dhillon, experimentation involves finding a fresh grammar within a familiar genre by twisting, bending, or merging genres, alongside unpredictable characters and surprising uses of cliches. Although her creative philosophy can make her films polarising, she acknowledges that breaking the mould excites her as a maker.

The resounding success of Gandhari and the audience mandate have validated this philosophy. Dhillon stated that the success has encouraged and humbled her to take more chances and continue telling unconventional, rooted stories that speak to an audience.