Day 17: Films

December 4, 2009

I am an absolute film buff. I can't remember how the interest began... sure, I was always entertained by films but to be so obsessed with them has been a relatively recent event in my life. I absolutely love watching films in any language, irrespective of whether they are good or bad. Of course, when I watch really horrendous films, I do talk about wanting to sue the film makers who have damaged my heart, mind and soul forever but I would be lying if I say that I do not enjoy the experience of watching even the least hopeless of films.

And recently I had taken to making films. OK, not really films but short films. OK fine, maybe they are miniature films, since the longest I have made is only 6 minutes long. They are films, nevertheless!

So making and watching films give me a great deal of satisfaction and today I had a positive run on both the items.

Firstly, I watched the Hindi film 'Paa' and enjoyed it throughly. I don't wish to turn this post into a film reivew, so all I'll say is that it is definitely one of the most unique films to have come out of India and the entire team deserve a pat on their backs.

Secondly, I got a bit of confirmation that I am on the right track trying to juggle my work (full time marketing manager at a MNC) and film making (purely part time) even though at times it is all too overwhelming.

Someone told me today that he was an aspiring director and he even got into the Pune Film Institute. But pressure from family got him to take up business instead. That was almost 30 years ago and now all he can think of doing is go to film school after retirement. To live his decades-old dream.

He told me that no matter how busy I am at work, I should try and keep up the films and writing on the side, because the deeper I get into work alone, the harder it will be for me to step back from it. It's a worthwhile no-regrets-later investment.

I had recently completed a film script but have been bogged down by doubts on whether it is something I could really pull off. I shudder to think of the amount of time, effort and resources required. But after talking to him, I know that I need to give it a shot no matter what.

983 more to go.