Family affairs: Family members working on film sets detrimental at times

It’s double duty on film sets — daughters working as stylists, brothers as music directors, wives looking into costumes. But it’s not always easy for other people to work with these family members, especially when differences crop up.

Rumours are swirling about the rift between Gautami (who was working as a stylist for Sabaash Naidu) and Shruti Haasan and how the latter didn’t like the clothes that Gautami had picked for the film. Despite Shruti’s reportedly “bad behaviour”, dad Kamal kept mum, seemingly reluctant to take sides in the matter. Can’t blame him too when it’s daughter vs life partner!

Another instance was when actress Catherine Tresa was “thrown out” of Khaidi No. 150, because she and her stylist had a disagreement with Sushmita, the stylist for the film, who also happens to be Chiranjeevi’s daughter and Ram Charan’s sister. Catherine, being a smaller star, quietly lumped it because she couldn’t take on the Mega family.

So, is working with family tricky business? Director Teja says that he absolutely dislikes working with family members. “If a family member is involved in the creative process of a movie, the logic and the roles of the characters go for a toss. You can’t really say no to them when you want to, and you will have to make compromises. Ultimately, this affects the quality of the film. This is why I never take any family members or entertain recommendations,” he says.

Supriya Yarlagadda, executive producer who has worked with her family on films, says that working with one’s family is advantageous. “I have worked with people like my grandfather (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) or uncle (Nagarjuna) and it is important to find one’s voice. It’s not easy, but after a time, you learn to put your voice forward. I also believe that people who work with family become very intuitive in the long run — you don’t want to hurt the other person and always want to do the right thing. Working with one’s family means that everybody brings their strengths and weaknesses to the table. Once we know that, it’s easier to work as a team.”

Namrata Shirodkar, who has worked with her husband, Superstar Mahesh Babu looks at the situation positively. “It’s not always easy to work with family because sometimes, you don’t agree on what they say. One needs to draw a line and have an open conversation about the issue. Mahesh and I make sure we have a healthy discussion, even when we disagree. When family works with you, it becomes easier to understand their point of view,” Namrata explains, adding, “While handling deals too, the brand endorsers do not consider me as Mahesh Babu’s wife. I am strictly a person negotiating a brand deal from Mahesh’s side. We do not bring in any personal relations when it comes to work.”