Cinema Femme attended a press conference with the team behind “7 Days” which premiered at the Tribeca Festival on Thursday, June 10th. We asked some questions, and we’d like to share our exchange with star Geraldine Viswanathan.
“7 Days” was shot during the pandemic and is about two people who are forced into quarantine after a first pre-arranged date by their Indian parents. This is when little was known about the virus and it was mandated that people stay in their homes. As the days go on, we see the couple revealing their true selves as they deal with a scary and a confusing time. This film is part-comedy and part-romance, with interwoven dramatic tones as the director, Roshan Sethi, portrays what it was really like during the pandemic.
Cinema Femme asked “7 Days” star Geraldine Viswanathan about what she was trying to bring to her character Rita that was authentic to the times we’re living in. She gave an honest and touching answer: “Something we tapped into in general for this film was deep loneliness. That was how I was feeling, and I think that was how we all were feeling. Coming together to make the movie, we got to feel connected for a hot second. That connection was forged in a deep sadness, where you pretend that you’re tough. You can say that you are resilient, but ultimately, there is a loneliness to it.”
Cinema Femme also talked to “7 Days” Sethi and star Karan Soni about some of the intimate details revealed at the end of the film. “When I first came out, which was not that long ago at the age of 30, Karan was the first person I met afterward,” said Sethi. “I found it very difficult in the beginning because I was feeling angry. I was also overly aggressive because I was holding what I felt was the appearance of masculinity. It eventually gave way, and now I’m just the softest person ever. I’m crying, and I’m laughing, and I’m just never angry. I’ve undergone this whole transformation, and it turns out that under that hard blunt exterior was somebody very tender. That was the idea behind the ending of the film.”
“Roshan definitely has had more writing experience, for one, and something we always talk about is how we show something without saying it, without dialogue,” added Soni. “When he had the idea of how to portray this visually, it just felt so perfect to us.”
We highly recommend you see “7 Days” if you’d like to laugh, cry, and be moved. “7 Days” is now available to stream virtually through June 23. This film was produced by Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn, and the Duplass Brothers.
