Indian animation and filmmaker Varun Mehta needs no Introduction. Winner of several national and International awards, Mehta has secured a place for himself in the list of known Independent filmmakers in the country which is a big deal in itself. In a country that is obsessed with Bollywood, It's seems a must for a career driven Individual to work under great banners to achieve name and fame. But there are few filmmakers who chose to work with their own distinctive styles that gives them enough creative freedom to work on their stories and have superior control over their projects which sometimes, is not possible in a big banner film.
This is possibly one of the reasons why Short Films have better potential than those of feature films as they don't require censorship or heavy editing to voice out their message. What is told in 140 minutes can easily be depicted in 5-10 minutes with greater Impact. And with platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime etc gaining momentum in the Industry, this trend shall become even stronger in days to come. Coming back to the topic, Mehta has recently won a special prize in an International filmmaking competition and is all set to grace his presence in an award function. We met Varun for an Interactive session at Palm Tree Cafe, Aligarh City last week (8th of December) and spoke at length about his latest achievements and upcoming projects. Here are the excerpts from the Interview.
EFeed. Tell us something about the recent prize that you have won?
Varun : This filmmaking challenge was organized at the global level where participants were asked to make something for a new digital currency that is about to be launched soon. I won a special prize for my presentation. Since the organizers want the whole contest to be termed 'confidential'. I am not allowed to give out more than this.
EFeed : Fair enough then, tell us about the other achievements.
âVarun : Well one of my other films have been shortlisted in a film festival and I am really excited for the same. Also, I shall be taking part in the upcoming consumer awards in Delhi that are supposed to be held in Delhi on 22nd of December. I got an invitation as one of the films submitted got shortlisted there as well. Rest there's a lot in pipeline on which I shall speak on later.
EFeed : It seems like you took a break this year, we didn't hear much from you as much as we do occasionally.
Varun : Yes, I had taken a short break, The year began on a very fine note actually. One film of mine won the Mobile Movie Making Holiday International Film Challenge (US) and the other movie was shown at Lucknow International Film Festival in April. After that I had to take a break because of my brother's marriage. But now I am back to work as usual and It's in full swing.
EFeed : During your break, did you try something new or it was an out and out holiday?
Varun : No, It can never be a full blown holiday for me. I learnt many things during the break. I was supervising designs for an online magazine. Also for the first time, I took up the task of a casting director. Both the jobs were not much time consuming and they both were fun. However, I enjoy and love doing what I actually do.
EFeed : How was the experience of being a casting director since it was a new zone you explored?
Varun : It was fun, the main thing is to find the right face and the right talent for a specific role or part. And it's not really hard since I have had the experience of finding and exploring talents. But all in all it's a thankless job. The casting director doesn't usually get its due for what they do. Anyway, I did it for some good friends and it was for a brief time. It was good overall.
EFeed : Your 'Wiz Motion Studio' completed 5 years and its now on its mark to complete 6 years this Decembet. How do you look at this journey?
Varun : It's hard to believe that we have come this long. It just feels like yesterday I was holding the banner for the studio and clicking photographs. It was a dream that came true on its own. In these six years, we have produced numerous award winning short films, animation films, ads, music videos, visual presentations, documentaries so much so that I have lost count. The aim is to move ahead and keep nourishing this plant till my last breath goes out. Sky is only the limit.
EFeed : As an Independent filmmaker, who worked so hard to achieve, do you feel satisfied that you carved your own niche in the valley of big movie productions where the Independent movie productions are hardly valued?
Varun : To begin with, It's not totally like I have no idea about what's working in a big movie set-up. I have written small part in a script and Improvised for a big budget movie few years back but sadly was never announced or released. See, medium doesn't matter, it's fairly your choice. If you want to work in big sets, big directors and big banners it's your choice. whether It's an animation film or a live action film the process is not much different. There's a whole team work involved with bigger and better budgets. But of course, if you want to tell a story where you want full creative freedom and authority on your project, you can go for a short film. A script, a small camera and few actors are enough. It's your choice at the end. One should be open to do any kind of medium as long as the content is strong. As far as I am concerned, an artist's hunger never goes down and he can't feel satisfied at any point. An artist just doesn't live for money and fame. They follow you by your work. There are always bigger goals to achieve.
Efeed : What is one thing you feel need to change when one look at the outset of creative mediums like animation, stop motion or live action?
Varun : Definitely acceptance! The wave of animation is growing but definitely not at the pace which one expects. The wave started gaining strength in 2012 with much awareness but after that it has slowed down. The biggest problem that we face is the comparison issue. People need to be broad minded. VFX and animation are used in every movie, TV shows or advertisements even where hardcore action is not involved. First things first, we should stop comparing ourselves with Hollywood when we go to watch and enjoy their movies. It's a fact that we can't make even 10% of what they do yet whenever a film like Krrish 3 or 2.0 comes out, people start bashing the visual effects light right and center. They forget a simple rule that movies are primarily made for entertainment, doesn't matter how ridiculous the effects look. If people like it, they would lap it up. We need better content first, the day it happens the effects shall look great too. Secondly, we are dependent only on movies for the welfare of animation. Why? In the west, there is a proper merchandise for each product - Comic books, TV shows and then they turn to movies. There is a proper branding involved. Lastly, there is an overdose of mythological animated films which needs to stop. Plus, they don't even do well anymore. Proper Investment and Clever Execution is Important in this procedure. I know we have not made it to that level but we are definitely progressing. Only needs that is needed is patience.
Efeed : In a world that is full of creativity and endless possibilities, what kind of a struggle do you experience when you step in to the normal life interacting with ordinary people.
Varun : Oh! The struggle continues! nothing has really changed. India still has a lot and lot to grow when it comes to accepting new dimensions of creativity. For most people, Filmmaking is still about watching bollywood movies and Animation is nothing less than a cartoon. They don't have an idea that there are adult animated movies and TV series now. Would they call them 'cartoons' too? Leave ordinary people, even super duper educated people have no clue about these creative medium. Some of them are from my friend circles and relatives as well. My own mother sometimes confuses herself and hesitates when telling people what I actually do. This does feel a little awkward sometimes. But as long as they appreciate what I do. I am happy with that. There is definitely no need of feeling embarrassed at any given point of time. Every person is special and has special abilities which they should feel proud of.
âEFeed : Tell us about your upcoming projects ?
Varun : There is a lot in pipeline which I can't reveal much. But you will get to hear from my time to time. that's for sure.
We wish Varun all the best for the future endevours.
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