Charukesh was clear from day one that he would never hide Ammu behind a slogan. She stayed with the confusion, hope and negotiations through which a woman recognises abuse and begins to reclaim herself. My responsibility was to protect that honesty without sanding down its discomfort. The gaze was a major conversation with Charukesh, and I’m glad we got the politics of the film right. It remains a project that reminded me how powerful cinema can be when it gives a woman authorship of her own life.