Gurinder Chadha Talks New Disney Movies, Brewing Projects & Engaging Saudi Female Voices – Red Sea Studio

“Let me tell you, it’s not easy to write a Disney princess film,” Gurinder Chadha said of her new original musical film about a dynamic princess from Indian history in the making with Disney.

“It’s very difficult because you have to follow certain rules and not want to repeat yourself. I don’t want to do that mulan again, for example, I want to do my own thing. But at the same time, there are a lot of strong Disney princesses, so it’s an interesting balance to do something different, but still within the genre, to explore as a creator.

Chadha, who attended this week’s Red Sea International Film Festival with a screening of her global sensation Do it like Beckhamwho turns 20 this year, told Deadline’s Red Sea Studio that Sean Bailey, the president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, approached her about the idea for an Indian princess film: “Hell yes! This is me!”

The charismatic writer-director is currently writing the script with her husband and writing partner Paul Mayeda Berges and will also produce the project alongside Lindy Goldstein and Disney’s VP of Production Jessica Virtue for the live-action title.

“Together we are all really making this story, which we hope to share as soon as we get to a good stage.”

In a candid interview with Deadline, Chadha revealed a variety of projects she’s currently working on, including a Netflix-backed project based on a Greek mythology character from a “feminist perspective” and produced by Jeff Kirshenbaum, and a “very funny” script by Crazy rich Asians Writer Kevin Kwong who came on board.

Chadha has confirmed the Netflix adaptation of Nidhi Chanani’s best-selling graphic novel pashmina does not continue to run with the streamer.

“I bring my own perspective to everything I’ve worked on,” she said, adding that she “loves the development process.”

Chadha said: “I say yes to things that I think will inspire other people, I like that. If I read something that I find inspiring and kind of needle-shifting when it comes to challenging prejudice or diversity or racism or sexism and things , I will go with it and do more with it.

“At the end of the day, I’m always driven by emotion, and when I’m emotional about the characters and the story and I feel like there’s enough there to really add to the emotion and make the audience feel connected to be. the story without getting really cheesy, that’s always my goal.

Here in Jeddah, Chadha said her goal is to “see and meet Saudi women” and she has done that during her time here and she says she even has the concept of a Saudi version of Do it like Beckham with local writers.”

“This change is happening before our eyes and very quickly,” she said.

About the Red Sea Film Festival, she noted that it is “a very interesting place for local filmmakers to explore these transitions when they move from a very traditional country to a modern one, but at the same time want to hold on to certain traditions.” but also embrace the good in modernity.”