6 lessons The Ghazi Attack director has for every aspiring filmmaker

Debutante director Sankalp Reddy, whose film The Ghazi Attack has earned acclaim and popularity, shares insights with aspiring filmmakers.

There is no right or wrong or one way to become a filmmaker

The way I became a filmmaker is not the usual story of the aspiring filmmaker who is interested in cinema from a young age and therefore goes on to pursue the passion.

I was all set to get an MBA degree from Griffith University, Australia. When I was about a semester into the my course, one day I happened to see a hoarding of the Griffith film school on campus. I'm still not sure how or why, but I knew in that moment that I had to study cinema, not management.

Follow your whimsical heart

I came back home to Hyderabad with dreams and the grand delusion that finding producers for my films will be cakewalk. But everyone wanted to know was which big name I had worked with - my worth would be decided based on that.

Since I knew nearly no notable name at the time, nobody wanted to work with me.

I set up a small computer graphics studio so that I could make contacts. It didn't do too well and I assisted someone with their films, which never released.

When I was once returning to Hyderabad from Annavaram, I had got delayed and had time to spare in Vishakhapatnam, from where I had to catch the train. There on the beach road is the Kurusura Submarine Museum. When I entered the submarine, I went through the same emotion I had felt when I saw the film school hoarding. In the three days that followed, my broad story idea for Ghazi was ready. That was November 23, 2012.

Watch plenty of films, but only till you've finalised your story

I love watching films like any other aspiring filmmaker. But I stopped watching cinema altogether once I started to work on my script. I haven't seen a single film in the last three years because I didn't want anything to influence my thought process while working on my script. It is easy to get swept away by something you've seen in another film, which may just distract you away from your own ideas.

Challenge the norm

Everyone here in Tollywood that I took the idea to rejected it since it is not a love story, doesn't have a comedy track or songs let, alone an item number. I was told that a film like this one, stripped of all the formulaic components, has zero chance of working. But I was in love with the idea and decided to work on it anyway - to at least put it up on YouTube.

I pooled in about Rs 25 lakh from friends and family and started to build the sets, create miniatures, hired a studio for computer graphics and the Sutradhar theatre group from Hyderabad for actors. The Pakistani submarine that you see in the film is a set on the fifth floor of a vacant commercial building in Hyderabad.

The script is bigger than anyone's ego

After I ran out of my money, I started to approach producers. A couple of them were interested in my script on the condition that I made some changes. But I was firm that I wouldn't change anything fundamental to the script.

I had worked on this story for more than a year and didn't want to let all of that effort go waste. If you are convinced about something, do not change it regardless of who is asking you to. However, if you hear a suggestion that will enhance the script, take it regardless of who it comes from. After all, the audience comes to see your film and not your ego.

Do not give up

There were several moments when I was bogged down by stumbling blocks. But one though kept me going: the problem is temporary and will go away.

Another problem will soon take its place, but this one will definitely go away, and so forth. If you are convinced about your idea, do not give up till the end.

I didn't imagine that this project would grow into the film it eventually turned into with big names like Rana Daggubati, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni and Om Puri Sir in it. People may not believe in you, but they will certainly believe in your idea if you don't give up.

(As told to Mona Ramavat)