A young filmmaker with an envious body of work. Roopa Rao, has made it loud and clear with “The Other Love Story,” she’s here to stay. She indulges in making a varied range of films from short to feature length, fiction to documentary, commercials to educative. Apart from “The Other Love Story” – a web series, which has in its kitty over 7 Million views in YouTube, her key work includes ‘Hot Seat’, a short film released in large short films channel of Anurag Kashyap. And line producing for Oscar-nominated director, Uli Gaulke’s under-production movie-‘Century of Women.'
SHEROES got talking to this dynamic filmmaker on movies, life and how digital platforms are enabling independent filmmakers to #TakeCharge of their work.
“Stories are very powerful as we all know, and I have been as long as I remember, reading stories, sharing stories through talks and conversations and I have had first hand experiences of how a well told story can transform and transmit an individual. I just wanted to be part of that experience – giving it mostly and receiving it largely. So here I am, pursuing my way ahead in this path of independent cinema. Nothing specifically triggered my interest in Filmmaking I think. It was something that I was born with I feel like this passion is a genetic disorder ;-). With time I only became clearly aware of my innate craze for films – this art of visual storytelling.
Short Films/Documentaries Add Value To A Filmmaker’s Craft
Visual storytelling – filmmaking is a craft that like any other craft needs a constant harnessing to keep sharp. In that way making short films helps. Documentary films are close to me as it discusses reality as is. There are many stories that are good to be told in shorter formats. So ‘short film’ is still one of my favorite spaces. It challenges my craft. Documentary films are, for me a film that is sans drama. I would still do it, if a concept occurs to me that requires that kind of a treatment. Having worked with international documentary filmmakers has enabled me with a certain technical expertise that one requires to shoot impromptu, which I sometimes use in guerilla shooting style that we adapt.
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Over the course of time, I realized my space of narrative is ‘realistic drama’. I like to indulge in stories that are real and as it happens around us. Life as it flows for all of us offers enough drama to make interesting tales. Doesn’t it?
Roaring Success Of “The Other Love Story” & Digital Platforms
Digital platforms so far have been a blessing for those who have wanted to tell their stories without any adulteration, since there are no middle agents who in a way decide or influence the content like in mainstream cinema. Here in digital world, it’s between creators and audience, so there is a freedom of expression which is very essential to create honest art.
With video platform monetization, there is a bit of money relief as well. With various technological transformations including high speed Internet, smart phones; digital space is the next big thing. It already is actually. But hope we retain the original sensibilities with which we started off.
Facebook has close to 2 billion users, which is close to 30% of world population – that is the simple statistical figure to understand the wide reach Internet offers. One can actually create a movement, if we manage to reach the “right kind of audience.”
On Communities Connecting Talented Women
How much ever we deny but the fact is that we all are interdependent creatures. World operates in inclusion, the pace with which society is moving, evolving, it is easier to feel isolated and secluded. Consciously built communities help us to stay with each other and support one another to progress. Online Communities like Houseful Of Talent, help to learn about the opportunities that may be out there and it helps to learn you are not alone in your journey.
On The Film Industry Being Male-Dominated
I have not experienced any setbacks solely due to my gender. It has its challenges to be the only female in a workplace where rest of them is predominantly male. But, I feel this world is a mirror of the self, if we grow out of gender biases or differences in our headspace and operate at human to human level, it takes time but your colleagues do come around to operate that way.
Parting Advice To Budding Filmmakers
I don’t think I still have reached a plane to advice someone. But if I have to, I would say, please don’t pursue film making because of its glitter, money, fame or any such thing this might offer. This is a very responsible space as visual stories have the maximum impact and this has the capability to create generations. So please be sure of what you are sharing through your films. It could be in our hands to break or make future generations.