Meera Menon’s new film Equity is billed as the first female driven Wall Street picture. It is not often we get to see women investment bankers in films. Neither do we see women bankers admit they love power and money. Such dialogs are usually reserved for male characters. Manon previously wrote and directed Farah Goes Bang.
We spoke with Menon about the making of Equity and how she got selected to direct it. Equity’s script is written by Amy Fox and is produced by Alysia Reiner and Sarah Megan Thomas, both of whom star in the picture. Menon shares that Equity is more of a corporate thriller drama.The film feels more like a mashup between House of Cards and Mad Men she adds.. We also spoke to Menon about growing up in New Jersey and how she developed an interest in films, filmmaking and Bollywood. One of her earliest memories is watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Does she plan on making films in India? Tune in to find out.
LISTEN: FILMMAKER MEERA MENON ON THE MAKING OF EQUITY, BOLLYWOOD & MAKING FILMS
Equity follows an investment banker Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn) and a high-profile Initial Public Offering (IPO) for a Silicon Valley tech company. Bishop hopes the IPO will lead to a promotion. A promotion that she thinks is long over-due.This is not your year is how Bishop’s boss put it when she has taken 9 companies public. Bishop is also recovering and fighting a fall-out from a failed IPO. Then there is the legal investigation side of the story led by Samantha (Alysia Reiner), who works for the US Attorney’s office. Samantha is investing some corrupt hedge fund members, one of whom is dating Bishop. The film takes an unexpected turn towards the end with a surprising transformation of one of the characters. You will have to see Equity to find out about it. Menon is right – Equity feels more like a corporate thriller. The film has more of a TV look and feel than a cinematic one. “It is clinical,” is how one of them described the film after watching it. I enjoyed the film because it showed a different side of women, Wall Street and taking a company IPO.
Equity releases on August 12, 2016 in San Francisco Bay area.
Picture courtesy of Meera Menon
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