FlashBack
In 2012, I completed my high school education from my hometown, Siwan, and made the decision to relocate to Varanasi to pursue further studies. I was residing amidst two historic rivers, the Ganga and Assi, which was close to Assi ghat. To the east of my location, the river Ganga meanders while to the west, a revered Lord Jagannath temple stands tall. My room- mate and neighbours were Sanskrit students who were studying Karmkand. My morning alarm clock was soothing sounds of Vedic chants and the enchanting aarti mantras of the nearby temple. Meanwhile, I found myself fascinated by the captivating allure of Banaras. A new passion for the arts began within me. In the evening some theatre groups gathered at the Assi ghat to practice plays till midnight. I would sit on the steps of the ghat, and observe their performances with great fascination. I feel connected to every aspect of the enlightened city. As time went by, I became accustomed to witnessing the shooting of numerous films and music videos in various languages in the city. Among them, there was a particular film that had its set conveniently located near my residence in Nagwa and the film was Raanjhanaa by Anand L. Rai.
Among the people like myself, the only familiar name in the cast and crew was Sonam Kapoor because she was the daughter of Anil Kapoor and had appearances in a few films. The fascinating thing I observed was that no one cares who the actor or director is on the set. It was just another routine shoot for me. We used to see Dhanush (Kundan), Sonam Kapoor (Zoya), Anand L. Rai, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (Murari), and Swara Bhaskar (Bindiya) on set sitting on chairs. We as locals of Banaras remained unaware of their celebrity status; I must confess, we would occasionally make insensitive comments about Dhanush based on his personality and skin color.
The Zoya set was located in front of my house while the Kundan set was at the back. I often visited the sets to observe the movie-making process and to witness the talents in action. As a child, I found the entire filmmaking experience mesmerizing. The major shooting locations in Varanasi included Assi ghat, Tulsi ghat, Varanasi, Kashi railway station and Ramnagar Fort. I sometimes got frustrated by the lengthy shooting schedule and multiple takes for a single shot. We all know that Raanjhanaa is a love cult movie but for me, it has one of the greatest albums of the last decade.
By that time, I was just observing what was happening around the city with my friends, visiting different locations of Banaras to observe the phrenetic aspects of the city. It was captivating to be on my own independently, meeting strangers and having fun with them all around the city. The iconic Holi scene from the song ‘Tum Tak’ was filmed at the Tulsi ghat, located near the birthplace of Rani Laxmibai. The production team needed additional people to create a crowd, so an assistant director asked if anyone there was willing to participate in the shoot. Some people agreed to join, but I hesitated because I was worried about getting my clothes dirty with colors. I was innocent, vulnerable and too shy to handle situations like that. The shooting in Varanasi lasted for almost a month and the vivid memory of witnessing the cinema legends in person fueled my dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Why Raanjhanaa inspired me
When it comes to films, each one has its own distinct approach to storytelling. And if a particular story manages to deeply resonate with you, it’s natural to develop a strong affection for every aspect of it. I experienced this very phenomenon when I attended the first-day, first-show screening of Raanjhanaa at IP Sigra Mall in Varanasi. The film completely altered my perspective on how narratives can be visualized. I had watched the shooting of the sequences; it was kind of messy but my perception changed completely when I witnessed it on a multiplex cinema screen, sitting among hundreds of people. I saw colossal reminiscence in front of my eyes; got awe-stuck in the frames while revisiting those shooting moments. I was spellbound by the surreal experience of the film in the theatre hall. I found myself transfixed, reliving the moments that were captured right in front of me. I was in awe of everything. I cried, laughed, and showed different emotions in the hall throughout the screening.
My love for cinema arose from Raanjhanaa; I started searching for means for writing and shooting films on my own. In the same year, I shot my very first ever short film for Sunbeam School. This film gave me the drive to think out of the box and write stories, film them, and showcase to the world on a 70 mm screen one day. It’s almost a decade over, and my love for filmmaking has only intensified within me. Once someone said, a dream without process is nothing and I am in the process of it
