Today we’d like to introduce you to Dhwani Shah.
Hi Dhwani, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a filmmaker; I write, direct and edit narrative fiction, oscillating between horror and drama on any given day. I don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t familiar with film. My dad bought one of those cassette camcorders when I was about 6, and I played with the camera all through childhood. Naturally I took to filmmaking when I was in college and made a bunch of (now embarrassing) short films that are safely tucked away in my archives. A lot of my learning came from YouTube tutorials, honestly. Back when I was starting out, my film philosophy was ‘fake it till you can secretly Google it and make it’.
I still remember my first real film internship at 18, when I was asked to shoot and edit a behind-the-scenes video. I had never touched Premiere Pro till that point. I lied that I could do it, stayed up for three nights straight watching YouTube tutorials, and came up with a pretty decent cut. Looking back, I’m surprised that my tiny Asus laptop managed to hold up!
Editing is the one true language of filmmaking, and knowing how to edit has majorly influenced my approach as writer-director.
As of date I have self-produced two of my indie short films (that won some awards), and I have written two feature screenplays that I’m really passionate about! I do a lot of work as a 1st AD for ad films and digital content, and have dabbled in education content for the most part of the last five years.
Till date when someone asks me what I do – I have to reply with ‘filmmaking’. Asking me to pick only one role is like asking a mother who her favourite child is. Having said that, my ideal future is one where I am working on a feature as a writer-director-editor. Fingers crossed!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My twenties have been characterised by taking risks. I switched multiple jobs, wearing the hat of an editor, producer, director and screenwriter, which allowed me to hone my skills and also find what I do best – directing. One of my recent risks was moving to New York from Mumbai. I decided to jump ship, with the hope that I could creatively cross-pollinate on a larger scale. And so far….it’s looking good. Being a South Asian in the US who doubles-down on her culture and writes films that are South-Asian centric and female-led is a risk on its own. But the world has been more welcoming of perspectives like mine lately, and hopefully this is a risk that pays off in the longer run.
It’s a whole lot of hard work, late nights, and hours of unrecognised effort that one has to put in. And the only way it is worth it – is if you’re absolutely in love with what you do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I love dabbling in all the avenues of filmmaking, but my specialisation is screenwriting, directing and editing. Those three processes are creatively married for me. I am not the best when it comes to analysing my own art. A lot of the choices I make come from the gut and a spiritual realm of sorts. The second I try to take it up to the brain and intellectualise it, the fun goes away. So lately I’ve learned to trust my gut a lot more.
In terms of challenges, I have dealt with mine by taking onus and creating my own opportunities instead of waiting for one to pop up. This usually means hustling, working over weekends and having three jobs at one time. But the thing I like about the film industry is that hard work eventually pays off. Especially in the current climate where there’s a general sentiment of people trying to uplift one another.
I think what sets me apart in some ways is my approach with genre-filmmaking, mainly horror, and using it as a device to have a larger socially-relevant conversation. My upcoming film Tasveer, is a psychological horror where a woman gets haunted by a camera – and the camera in return is a metaphor for the male gaze.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Winter holiday with the family, 2004. The warm December sun filtered gently through the dense trees around and my cousins and I lazed away on the swings outside. Our grandad watching over us, sat nearby smoking his usual midday cigarette. Not a single screen around, not a care in sight. Days used to feel like months, time was slow and the world was full of unexplored adventures.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dhwanimakesfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhwanishah11/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhwanimakesfilms/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ladybugfilmsin?si=bcIl58sBOIIIBoGR
