See It, Be It 2024: Kopal Naithani
When Kopal Naithani started her career in advertising production, she had no female bosses to look up to and had to find her own path forward. That’s why these days, the Mumbai-based director and production company founder uses her business and creative talent to nurture aspiring female filmmakers and to tell authentic, meaningful stories.
This year, Kopal is heading to Cannes as part of the See It, Be It 2024 cohort. Here she discusses her own journey overcoming external roadblocks and inner battles.
See it
Tell us about a woman who has inspired you in your career
I started my career in the early 2000’s, in a company where the ratio of men to women was 20:1. And yes, I was the only “ONE”. This absence of female leadership or even peers for that matter shaped my resolve to become the example I never had. Starting out as an assistant to now being the Director-Founder of my own production house I had to learn and unlearn from my own experiences. Today powerful female role-models have emerged and to my delight in women much younger than me. Binaifer Dulani is one such creative whom I look up to. Her fearless work in advertising is not only inspiring but a reminder of the good that advertising is capable of.
Be it
How have you incorporated the lessons and insights you gained from women in your life and in creative/professional fields into how you approach life and your career.
What was wonderful about the women in my personal life was the way we always lifted each other. But a bigger talking point here is the realisation that we all shared the same frustrations, similar roadblocks, the glass ceiling so to say. Women no matter how diverse are all bound by these shared experiences. And with this knowledge comes the pursuit of creating a more equitable world in whatever capacity I can. Keeping these experiences and ideals in mind, I set out to start my own company incorporating a value system which I truly believed in and pursue work which is a true representation of progressive womanhood.
Do it
How does that translate into the work? Tell us about some of the campaigns you've been involved in that you're really proud of. What challenges did you overcome to bring them to life?
I always dwell into my own life and the authentic experiences of womanhood to bring out hidden moments and create finer nuances in my storytelling. ‘Chhoti Soch’ for Urban Company, ‘Superwoman’ and ‘The Interview’ for Tanishq are a few campaigns which are very close to my heart. Each film dealt with different aspects of womanhood, be it the dignity of work, busting the myth of the perfect woman or trying to get back to work after a maternity break respectively. The challenge was to be able to tell their stories truthfully from a female gaze in a way that women could connect and see themselves in these characters.
Share it
What messages or words of advice do you have for the next generation of women coming into the industry? And tell us about anything that you do to support and lift up women in the industry
Be daring greatly. Have the courage to show up as your most authentic self against all odds and allow your vulnerabilities to become your strengths. Yes sure, fear and doubt will creep in to tell you otherwise but the most important battle to win is the one within. That’s when the magic happens.
My endeavour through my company has always been to mentor young women, enriching them with my own experiences and learnings. Superfly Films today is a safe haven for aspiring female filmmakers, one which is collaborative and consciously works towards their growth. Besides this, I consciously work with women-heavy crews to help level the playing field for us all.
See It Be It is a LIONS initiative aiming to achieve equal gender representation among creative directors and leaders across the global industry. The programme is open to all women, trans-identifying and non-binary people. For any enquiries, please get in touch at seeitbeit@canneslions.com.
Further information on applying for See It Be It 2025 can be found here.
