Guneet Monga revealed the strangest place she has been pitched a story. Here’s what she said

Guneet Monga began her production house Sikhya Entertainment in 2008. Since then, she has produced films like Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Shahid (2013), The Lunchbox (2013), Masaan (2015) and the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2019). Last month, she became part of an exclusive club of Indians who have won the Oscar with her win for producing the documentary short, The Elephant Whisperers. The producer, who has backed so many acclaimed films, spoke about the weirdest place someone has approached her for a story. It happened to be on a chartered plane after it was struck by lightning. (Also read: Guneet Monga wanted to take Raghu and Ammu to the Oscars: ‘We used to always say Tux for Raghu, gown for Ammu’)

The Tamil short The Elephant Whisperers, directed by first-time filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves, became the first Indian production to take home an Oscar in the Best Documentary Short category. It follows a couple at an elephant camp in Tamil Nadu who care for orphaned calves who have lost their mothers. In 2019, Guneet co-produced Period. End of Sentence. (2018) which also ended up winning in the same category at the 91st Academy Awards. She is amongst the first producers from India to be inducted in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Speaking to Film Companion after her Oscar win, “Oh my god! One of the most funniest was back from Dharamshala to Delhi in that chotu (small) flight. There was this really smart air purser. Suddenly lightning struck the plane. I have seen Manifest and I was just like, what? Suddenly the brain goes to all the films and everything that we’ve seen. I was like, ‘What just?’ and the plane was like [indicates shaking]. Anyways, I’m so scared. So I just looked at him and he came, sat next to me. It was so poetic and I was like, ‘Yeh baar baar, yeh kya hua, kya… (What’s happening?)’ And he’s like, ‘Ma’am, mai bohot samay se kahaniyan like raha hun (I’ve been writing stories since a long time).’ ‘Pehle yahaan se bachenge tab kahani kuch bana payege na (First let us live through this, then we can make any stories).’

Later this year, Sikhya will also produce the feature film Kathal starring Sanya Malhotra and a documentary on singer-composer Yo Yo Honey Singh. Both projects will be streamed on Netflix.