Ankita Gupta is am Mumbai based Filmmaker, Screenplay Writer, Director, Editor and Educationist. She is a graduate of the Three Years Training From Film and Television Institute of India Pune in Film Direction and Screenplay Writing. She has been collaborating with other writers to develop some web series Ideas to pitch and also been working on developing her own feature length and short format screenplays for few years. And she has started directing short films independently.
Now she owns one full length Feature film screenplay and 4 Pitch docs, which she is endeavoring to convert into finished projects with her team.
Ankita has set up a production house, which is called ‘Machhlipani Films’ which has produced its first 16 minutes short film ‘The Divorcee’ which is in the process of Sound Designing, and she is all set to release it soon on our her monetized YouTube Channel.
As a child what were your early influences towards cinema? Art,
literature, graphics, photography?
Photography, Acting, and Writing have been some of the influences. And also, I think because my father has given me this exposure of theatre as he use to write and act in Delhi Shriram center of Art and Culture in Mandi House and used to take me with him for rehearsals and plays so the influences must have grabbed their germs from there.
How did you first become interested in film direction?
I had been a voracious reader since my childhood when I was just 8 years old, Nandan and Champak and also Chacha Chaudhry were the regular books my father used to have a monthly subscription for me. I remember some stories, which I have thought of converting into visual arts in that age only. I must say that I was a full time daydreamer, and imaginations were the fulltime time -pass. So when I was growing up, and I had started thinking about the career choices, I found it the wisest choice to become a writer and director. But also I tried to prepare for banks for almost two years just before FTII, but I could not sustain myself in the same as the art itself was fluttering in my heart, body, soul, mind, and I found my self so sleepless and distress. So I decided to come to Mumbai in 2010 while waiting for the results of FTII written exams. This phase has automatically had become so easy when I have decide d that I cannot live without this. Things started to happen automatically. And I find myself still so much influenced, that I am still striving hard.
What steps did you take to train yourself?
I joined the Film And Television Institute of India in Pune.
Have you assisted anyone? How does it help one?
I did assist before joining FTII in a television series, for almost a year. That was the thing; I learnt a lot, not much about filmmaking but much about how one should manage the things on the set as a Director because on set he or she is the only one who is responsible for almost everything. This was the learning, which has been helping me till now.
How did your first film project come about? Tell us something about the
experience.
My First project I would certainly call was a 16 mm film shoot, which I have done whit Tom Alter sir. Though it had been a student exercise but the whole team has taken it so professionally because Tom Sir was the part of it. We as a team were super happy about the project, and Tom sir was also very Happy about the whole thing, He was such a humble and generous actor on set. I still am not able to forget that experience, it was beyond my expectations, and still has the power of giving me Goose Bumps.
How do you decide on a film subject.
What are your inspirations?
Most of the times it’s so magical in a way that it automatically comes to me. I believe every filmmaker makes a film according to his or her personality. The same happens with me. As of right now, I am focusing on creating passionate love stories.
Is film direction intuitive or is it something you learn?
It’s the mix of both, but on a higher node it’s a craft, which one develops with the passing time. One can be intuitive, but that intuition can be turned into a good film when you know the craft.
Tell us something about your film ‘Curious Case of A Black Dog: The
Story of Depression’.
Oh! It happened when I have decided to quit FTII, as I really was not in a right state of mind. It was the very intuitive one I was walking back a friends place from the institute because I have left the institute before even shooting my diploma, and I have got the whole story in front of my mind within 15 minutes. So as soon as I reached home, I have written the whole of it, and I have informed the institute that I would like to shoot it asap. So We shot it in April and screened it in December.
Your favorite films or directors? At least two of them?
V Shantaram
Satyajit Ray
Insaritu
Agnes Varda
Kim Ki Duk
Zoya Akhtar
Rajkumar Hirani
Mira Nair
Any hurdles you have encountered in your journey. Things that are block
ing you from achieving your vision while making your film.
Yes, The Finances of course, its tough to find a Producer to continue to be a film Director, and its tough. This is the very first block you face.
Do you often get all that is in your wish list or is it a hard bargain
every time?
I have not made a feature yet, but whenever I have made a film, which itself is a tough task, you always struggle to get what you really want, but you keep striving and you get 60-65 % percent of it, which I have realized that it is foolish to expect the 100%. So if one gets 60% of the film he o she wanted to make it is good enough. And in any case, I could always do it.
And the matter of fact is if the story is so clear and convincing there is nothing for bargain, you get what you really want.
What is in the kitty now?
I have no idea about that.
Any advice to the aspiring directors?
I would say that it is a hard work for all over your life, so if you are really encouraged to do this, then only be in the profession. And also develop your vision so that you can see the economics for next 5 years. I really mean to say. I understand that you are passionate about your dreams but be a bit practical and also concentrate and learn the commercial aspect of filmmaking. This advices specially meant for the institute pass outs.
Any memorable blunders?
When I have been assisting in TV Series, as a costume AD, I have given the wrong costume to the male lead actor in the very next shot, which was in the continuity because we have shot the earlier shot in Lucknow almost before 15 days, and the next shot we were shooting in Mumbai. I used to write the continuity in the book, but that moment I got bit confused as it was my first ever work, and before that I did not even saw a shooting. I had been just learning. It is not the excuse though. So my Director has scolded me like hell, but then the Director Mohit Jha who is wise enough to handle this, grew past of his anger, and has given the advice to the production that we shall run an advertisement in between the shots, so the audience will forget the continuity.
I tell you this experience has become so big in my mind and also the biggest learning of the lifetime that how calmly the director shall deal with all these sort of mistakes. Because shooting is a grand thing itself, and you can never avoid such mistakes but the director has to be so patient to deal with them.
Your dream project?
Oh!! It’s a film, which revolves around Shakespearian era, which shows the time in India and England both.
Who would you like to take out for dinner?
That’s a difficult question. The person I date with.
What are you listening to right now?
I have been hearing a song in loop, which is also my caller tune right now from Kareeb Kareeb Single – “Ye jo hai Khwab sa ye rahe ki jane den.”
And most recent book?
No I have not read a book for a very long time, but I keep an eye on the spiritual kind of books.
And Movie?
Many, I cant say one, because it is difficult to tell any god watch recently.
Though I have ended up watching this series called Jane The Virgin, which I really enjoyed. If you would ask me precisely I keep watching the films I have already watched, like all Inarutu’s films, Sam Mendes films etc.
And I try to keep in touch with almost every new release in Bollywood.
Your twitter handle?
I don’t have a twitter.
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