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Sanjay Arora, award-winning filmmaker.

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

Sanjay Arora’s short films are picking up accolades at international film festivals, and being praised for poignant storytelling and artistic depth.

He is the Executive Producer of 2 Khet which won the Best Director award at the South Asian International Film Festival of Florida.

Once Upon a Time in Lahore, also produced by Arora, won Best Film and Best Actor in a Short Film at the India International Film Festival of Boston.

His past directorial ventures, including Butterfly Wings, Once Again, and Expression, have garnered numerous international awards. These three were available for screening on Amazon Prime for four years and, following a change in guidelines, Butterfly Wings is now available on pay-per-view.

Shortly after this interview, Arora was leaving for Cannes’ Short Film Corner.

“My Once Upon a Time in Lahore was screened there earlier. This time, I’m not going as part of the festival, but to pitch my feature film.”

Though he has been both producer and director for different projects, he sees himself primarily as a director.

“I started as a stage actor,” he says. “Even while I was working in Detroit, I was in Toronto every weekend to attend the acting school set up by Keshu Ramsay in which Roshan Taneja taught. I am able to direct better because I think like an actor, I understand acting. When I write scripts, I think from the perspective of an actor.”

While most directors make shorts to showcase their talent, using them as stepping stones to feature length movies, Arora likens shorts and feature films to short stories and novels – each has its own place.

That said, he adds that shorts play an important role in the journey of independent filmmakers like him.

“They are in my control, allowing me to tell my stories my way, I can produce them. I also learnt many things in the process of creating shorts – how differently things work in India, Canada and the US, for instance.’

His shorts added credibility to his portfolio as he began pitching his full-length feature Vapsi, which is in pre-production.

The film is an emotional exploration of ageing parents living alone in India while their only son resides abroad.

It raises thought-provoking questions about the true meaning of success – is it measured by financial achievements and career milestones, or by those who stand by you when it matters the most?

It is a theme that will resonate with many – it’s a dilemma many who leave their families to make a new life in another country wrestle with.

It is not biographical, but based on what Arora has witnessed in his extended family and those of his friends.

“Parents don’t want to leave their comfort zones in India and it’s not always possible for their adult offspring to return. This is not the story of only Indian families, it’s the story of most migrants no matter where we come from, it’s a global story.”

Which brings him to his mission.

“I want to tell stories on a bigger canvas – global cinema is the target. I’m committed to creating thought-provoking, socially relevant cinema that resonates with audiences worldwide.”

Speaking of which, once upon a time directors like Mrinal Sen, Shyam Bengal, Govind Nihalani, even Gulzar, created what was known as “art house cinema” in India. Not run-of-the-mill commercial, they had a loyal following. Their movies were replaced by bigger, louder, gimmicky ones.

Now those are bombing at the box office.

Is the tide turning back to smaller, more meaningful cinema? Is there an audience for his movies?

Arora thinks so. “I’m a huge admirer of the work of Mira Nair, Shekhar Kapur and Nagesh Kukunoor. The audience for my films might be smaller, selective, but then it’s not only from India but from across the world, so together, there is an audience for Vapsi,” he says.

“I also make low-budget films, so recovery is easy. My team works on a fragment-payment basis. What this means is that I pay my cinematographer – who is also a close friend – a portion of his fee. The rest of what is owed goes into the project. He becomes, in essence, a producer, investing the cost of his services in the project.

“Whatever money we make, they’ll get paid first as the first stakeholders. This is a way to bring like-minded people to the team.”

While many internationally-acclaimed movies, ones that win big on the festival circuit, struggle to find wider theatrical release, Arora hopes that will not be the case for Vapsi.

Having had his 50-minute long movies on Amazon Prime, he’s hopeful Vapsi will get an OTT release. There are also plans to dub and/or provide subtitles in other world languages.

“It’s a global subject,” he reiterates. “I recently met someone from Uzbekistan who is dealing with the exact same situation.”

Having tried to make movies while working at his day job as a  software engineer for several years, Arora decided to focus full-time on movies nearly two years ago.

“I was working to make money to make movies. I’d take time off to attend acting workshops, theatre workshops. I went to the New York Film Academy. I co-produced movies while trying raise finance for my feature films. These were in-between projects, a way to stay connected to the field. I am happy to work in any area related to films. I was working at JP Morgan, and the plan was to use that time to write the script for my film, but I realized that life is short, I can’t postpone my dream much longer. Though I was able to tell stories on and off, working, attending meetings and taking calls drained my energy. I was frustrated at not being able to devote enough time to my passion. I tried this for three months but it was not synching, and so I quit. One needs calm, silence, to create.”

Arora came to Canada from Kurukshetra in India in 1996 in the independent immigrant category.

“Both my parents had passed away in a road accident and I was on my own,” he shares. “There was a lot of emotional turbulence in my life and when my immigration came through, I saw it as a chance to make a fresh start.”

A fresh start often comes with starting from scratch and, as Arora says, survival came first and his passion for movies took a back seat.

His qualifications and experience were not recognized and he was told he had to obtain a PEng.

“Jobs were scarce during that period and I worked night shifts and on weekends in factories, looking for jobs and waiting for calls to interviews during the day. And it was so cold! I had no car and I’ll never forget how it felt, waiting for public transit in freezing weather.

“I know first-hand the psychological impact the stress and uncertainty have on one, so maybe there’s a movie on the immigrant experience in me.”

Having worked in both countries, he believes newcomers face more challenges on the job front in Canada than in the US.

“If movies are your passion, keep in mind you will have to make sacrifices.” Sanjay Arora with his wife Geeta Khanna.

“My friends in Canada have been in the same job for over twenty years. Not because they love their jobs so much but because of the fear of not being able to land another should they leave. ‘If I lose my job, I’m gone.’ Here, job opportunities tend to be centred around a handful of cities like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Vancouver.

“In the US, there are such cities in every state and one sees a lot of movement, it’s common to move from one state to another for better prospects.” 

His wife, Geeta Khanna, also an IT professional, understands the creative urge. A singer herself, she encourages him to focus on his dream, his passion.

Arora’s advice to those who seek to make a career in the movies is to spend some time in soul-searching.

“What are your priorities? If you are coming into it only seeking money and fame, let me tell you right up front that it can be a struggle, they don’t come easy. Have clarity on why you want to do this. Some do it as a hobby, a side project, others have a deep passion for it. If you belong to the latter category, if it’s your passion, keep in mind that you will have to make sacrifices.

“I’m making movies for the creative fulfilment and satisfaction I receive. I’m not in it for the money or recognition – though those are nice, they’re by-products!

“If I can tell a story that people connect with, that is what matters the most to me.

“Butterfly Wings was based on the true story of a disabled woman. It was screened all over India as part of a travelling film festival and after each screening someone would approach me and say, ‘That’s my story’. It touched their hearts, and their response was bigger than any accolade, any award.”

With positive response from audiences and international recognition, Arora continues to bring powerful narratives to life.

• Grant’s is proud to present this series about people who are making a difference in the community. Represented by PMA Canada (www.pmacanada.com).