If one were to go by Bollywood's standard, Saand Ki Aankh is a clutter-breaking film. And as is the norm with any unconventional idea, the Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar starrer has had a cumbersome journey from the drawing board to the big screen.

As the film's teaser opened to praise yesterday, director Tushar Hiranandani says he has lived with the story of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar - the oldest women sharpshooters in the country - for the past four years. "I saw them on Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate. I had tears in my eyes when Chandro dadi said 'Tann buddha hota hai, mann buddha nahi hota hai'. I told Nidhi [Parmar, producer wife] that I will tell their story to the world." For the debutant director, the gritty drama is a departure from the scripts he has previously penned, including Masti (2004) and Ek Villain (2014).