Filmmaker Shonali Bose was just 21 when she lost her mother, Junie Dass, in 1986, a tragedy that profoundly shaped her life and artistic journey. This immense personal loss became a recurring undercurrent in her storytelling. Shonali Bose lost her mother when she was just 21 years old but channelized the pain into creating stories.  “Losing her at 21 was devastating and painful — it changed my life,” Shonali recalls, adding, “I explored mother-daughter relationships and the theme of death across Amu (2005), Margarita with a Straw (2014), and The Sky is Pink (2019). With Amu specifically, we intentionally wrote a story around a mother daughter to tap into my pain and write from an honest place. I believe that if you can write from the depths of your pain – that can be powerful.” Also Read: Miranda House objects to Shonali Bose’s ‘Ziddi Girls’, makers issue ‘fiction’ disclaimer In her debut film Amu, Shonali cast her maternal aunt Brinda Karat in a pivotal role. One emotionally charged scene required Brinda’s character, Keya, to reveal …