Don’t have to change the feminine in us to become leaders: Directors Kopal Naithani and Akanksha Seda

When Kopal Naithani, ad film director and founder of production house Superfly Films, was selected for the Cannes Lions See It Be It women’s career acceleration programme in 2024, she felt proud. She was the only ad film director and one of just three Indians in the cohort, alongside two other creative ad women.

At Cannes, her pride was joined by surprise after seeing many women collectives, and how they, especially Latina women, rallied around each other. She had never seen such a thing in India. “So many times I have seen the work of my fellow women directors and I loved it, but I never reached out to them. From the silence of my computer, I've said, ‘Oh, it's really nice,’” she says.

It was this observation, sparked by her experience at See It Be It, that prompted her to call women directors to Superfly Film’s office in Mumbai for an impromptu gathering. The seed of a women’s collective for ad film directors had sprouted.

During her younger years, Naithani saw few women in leadership roles, and when women did become leaders, they often mimicked leadership traits from men. She felt an urge to do something for each other, especially for young women directors. “We don't have to alter the feminine in us to be heard, to be seen, and to be followed through,” Naithani remarks.

Some of the conversations she had with the directors when inviting them were amusing: “Are you Kopal the director?”; “Why are you calling me?”; “Is there an agenda?” All Naithani wanted was to get them all to her office and see, “How we feel about each other.”

One director flew down from Bangalore, and another changed her ticket from Delhi to make it. “No one has ever said women directors are meeting. So, there was suddenly this sense of responsibility: ‘Hey, no matter what, I got to be a part of this meeting. I have to go,’” says Akansha Seda, director at Good Morning Films. Over 30 women directors made it to the meeting.

An interesting point to note is that most of the directors knew each other by name or from spotting their names in credit lists but not by face; much of the meeting’s time went into introductions, which were expected to be brief but ended up becoming a three-hour affair.

Why did nobody know each other very well? Direction is a lonely job, says Naithani, and most of them were pitching against each other, forming impressions of each other based on their work. Another reason was the lack of women in the directorial workforce, adds Seda. “So many women directors being a part of the force is a fairly new phenomenon; the rise is as recent as five years,” Seda notes.

She also remarks that while men compete against themselves, “Women have two layers of competition. The first is against each other, and then against men, so it is harder to get visibility.”

When Naithani kicked off the meeting with a speech about how women can be each other's biggest supporters, mirrors, critics, and friends—all rolled into one—it marked the start of something special and new.

The three-hour-long introductions were the highlight of the collective’s first meeting. In Seda’s words, “There was applause, there were tears. It was cathartic.” People spoke about how they felt about the competition and the struggles in the industry. A particularly emotional moment was when someone would call out a woman within the group to thank her for how, five years ago, she took a bet on them; otherwise, they would not have made it.

“It was just clearly a lot of repressed emotion that found a very positive space in this one room,” Seda summarises.

The collective—its name is still being decided—discussed how senior directors could help young ones navigate the industry. “Instead of just sitting and trying to problem-solve on your own, now everybody is a phone call away,” remarks Naithani.

Money was also a big part of the meeting. “At Cannes, women-run programmes for women and non-binary individuals not only talk about money but discuss how to walk in and ask about your money,” Naithani revealed, indicating that the collective would help its members on this often-taboo topic.

The conversation also revolved around “looking at our crews—how are we raising women, creating equality within our crews?” says Naithani. However, this movement is not just about women alone, and it's certainly not about us against men. “Men are our allies in this,” she states.

While the collective won’t commit to creating jobs, helping each other through referrals is certainly on the cards. “We can create and share opportunities on smaller projects,” Naithani states; an Instagram page that will showcase the work of these directors is in the works.

Once it’s rolled out, this collective will also look at all other roles inside the ad film production business and how it can support the women there.

The biggest achievement of the collective’s meeting was breaking the ice. “A gap was closed. Even if one young director feels like she can and that she’s got the support of others, senior or junior, that is wow,” Seda feels.