When I was a kid, around 5-6 years old, I used to tell my parents that I want to be a doctor but like a normal kid my attention flitted from one place to another until I found something that I was utterly fixated upon. I was surrounded by talented artists, directors and actors including my father, who worked in the industry and then went on to become a very successful businessman. He is someone who I have always looked up to and I couldn’t have asked for a better father. As I grew older, I began to fall in love with the idea of filmmaking. It’s not an easy task to create a film, which only made me want to explore the field to increase my knowledge, so that I can become one of the best directors the world has ever seen.
So I took the first step in my journey of greatness.
I directed my very first short film ‘The Last Dream’ in 2018 when I was 14 years old. I believed that the earlier I start, the more experienced I will be. I always want to be one step ahead of my other fellow peers.
Suicide is one of the main social issues in our world. While there are multiple methods used, a gun is the most frequent means of suicide. It is also likely that suicide by drug overdose is more common than we realise. Many children across the world experience suicidal thoughts because of family problems, stress, relationship issues, insecurities, etc. I found my calling in requiring to make a film of this caliber, even though I cannot prevent every single child from this act, I can at least utilise my capabilities and talents to create something that can facilitate change.
This film follows the story of a boy who administers sleeping pills to himself. An overdose leads to a bizarrely intimate conversation with Death wherein I bring light on his reasons for attempted suicide and the bittersweet truth of life. Veer finds himself stuck in limbo of neither being dead nor being completely alive, to top it off Death takes him through time in an uneventful yet heartbreaking adventure. This film aims to empower the audience to see the meaning of life and what a gift it truly is.
My friend Miraya Borah is a young writer and after discussing our thoughts together, we came up with this beautiful story. I was so happy to have her on board. My mother, Atiya Shaikh, supported me in every way and produced this film with her own production house ‘16 Pictures’. My mentor, Prabhuraj, who is a famous director, guided me in every step of the way. This film would be incomplete without the cast : Mitansh Lulla, Divyaa Sharma and Swapnnil Ralkar. I had an amazing experience working with the Director Of Photography, Anuradha Pathak, and all the other departmental heads. It was a huge challenge for me to take part in the pre-production and post-production because of my obligations as a student. However, I found the passion to complete the project with my heart and soul.
I was privileged enough to have my very own film screening where we had directors and actors from every wan of life come and watch my film including all my supportive friends. I was so overwhelmed with the responses that My team and I had received. I want to thank my family because it wouldn’t have been possible without my supportive parents.
Till now I have won 4 awards from Agra (Best Debut Director), Mumbai (Young Director), Bhutan (Best Young Filmmaker) and Ayodhya (Young Filmmaker Award). I am yet to see if the film will be graced with more awards as we apply to more film festivals all around the world. I thank Allah for this incredibly beautiful adventure.
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