Lalit Kumar Jha - Storyline of Your Screenplay Will Keep the Audience Takes Interest in Your Film and Script (Film Director/Producer)

To earn something, you have to lose something. You cannot always live on a double-sided always.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am an ordinary person born in a middle class family from Chiraiabad, Munger a small village in Bihar. Since childhood, my interest in art and culture was strengthening me as a future artist. I did my further studies in fine art and did a master's degree from Delhi. Although I am in the world of acting and film. Got involved through theatre and workshop in 2002 itself. But about 3 years after coming to Mumbai, the desire to make films started wavering in my mind, in fact the credit for motivating me to make films, Goes to a popular film actress!

This happened in the year 2017 when I was teaching modern acting to that famous actress as an acting coach for a film script. One day suddenly she asked me why you don’t make a film. Your way of telling and explaining is exactly like Sanjay Leela Bhansali because I have worked with him a lot so I know. It was a great thing for me to hear such praise from a big actress! And that's when I decided that I would make a film.

After that I made the short film Last Envelope in which famous actors like Annu Kapoor, Sheeba Chadda and Teheran Bakshi worked, this film was a winner in 22 countries all over the world and now you can watch this film on Jio Cinema Originals. My upcoming short film ‘The Waiting’ is ready for release in which many great famous actors have worked.

Like Rajit Kapoor, Zarina Wahab, Bhuvan Arora, Bidita Bag.. this film shows the usefulness of true love and relationships that are dying in the society. My aim is to make this film! If by watching my film, a loving couple or a married couple is saved from separation, then the purpose of making this film will be fulfilled. I am currently working on a feature film project as a script writer and director. This film highlights the greed and revenge of money.

2. Your first-ever film was 'Dried Water.' What was the inspiration behind this project, and what were some of the challenges you faced while making it?

Making the film ‘Dried Water’ was honestly like climbing the Himalayas for me as a director! It was not film making but the institution of film making in itself. This film taught me this as a film director how should a director be patient in adverse circumstances? Can you imagine? You do one and a half months pre-production for your first short film, the title of which is ‘Dried Water’, as the title suggests, the shooting location of this film will be the cracked earth where there will be strong sunlight and hot sand, the location of the film is fixed in Kutch Gujarat outside Mumbai, where permission for the location is taken already.

A big film camera, light and other things are booked, the hotel is booked in advance and the month of shoot is June! When there is scorching heat in Kuchch! When there is scorching heat in Kuchch! The crew of fifty people of Dried Water, including the actress of the film, leaves Mumbai for Kuchch, a day before the shooting, but on reaching Kuchch, a drop of rain falls in the scorching heat and soon the whole of Gujarat is submerged in water Goes And it becomes impossible to shoot my film Dried Water where the producer plans to return back to Mumbai and wants to stop the film for now. But as luck would have it, this film was meant to be shot, so the producer changes his mind and we travel towards Rajasthan.

This is just a small glimpse of the problems I shared with you! Had to face so many difficulties in making this film! It was so hard to shoot this film a film director. My entire film making journey, dried water is toughest one and my training in film making came from this film!

3.Your films, like 'The Last Envelope' and 'The Waiting,' are known for their strong storytelling. How do you approach developing a story from concept to screenplay?

I want to contribute something to the society as a writer and director, that's why I try to work on the script. And have and make a good film that satisfies the viewer’s completely.

Today cinema and audience with different mind-set. The viewer’s today who watch cinema have also joined from all over the world, which has been revolutionized by online platforms like Ott and mobile, today's audience has become very aware of watching world cinema. ..As a writer or director you cannot even present very weak storyline or screenplay in front of the audience… the storyline of your screenplay will keep you strong so, that the audience takes interest in your film and script. Which I take care always. The last envelope public review I got by Google research team where Google mentioned about my film “I would strongly suggest not reading The Last Envelope's plot and directly diving into the movie if you wish to not rob yourself of its real story and the twist that catches you by surprise in the last few minutes. Much isn't said in these moments, but Kapoor and Chadha’s decades of acting experience do the talking”. Here I want to thank you all my writing team my co-writer, assistant writer who did so much hard work to prepare a good script.

4. What was the experience like directing 'The Waiting,' and how did you manage to bring out the best performances from renowned actors like Rajit Kapoor and Zareena Wahab?

The Waiting is the core behaviour aspects of two different generation where in instant decision taken by the youth and deep patience in the old generation are the basic elements of our subject and for this Rajith Kapoor and Zarina they both have delivered it so nicely that they are the ones who played with the expression and have a method acting sense to make any scene a realistic one..It was indeed pleasure working with Rajith and Zaina at the same time Bhuvan and Bidita also justified their characters very naturally.

5. Your song ‘Badra re paani De’ was released by Zee Music Company. How was the experience of directing a music video different from directing a short film?

Music Video and short film are two different entity and have altogether different approach in terms of shooting and final output so for me as a director I enjoyed both the format but for me Short film could be a better platform to express my views to the audience.

6. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?

As an independent Film Maker the biggest challenge is to get the funds for script and win the trust of the producer also another challenge is to deliver to the expectations of the producer as the captain of the ship is the film director only. But from my perspective and experience, I would suggest that the producer must give an independent charge to the Director to make the film or song as per his imagination but at the same time Director should also justify the product.

7. For aspiring filmmakers my sincere advice is that they should watch good cinema and must have varied choices of cinema as it's a non-ending learning.

For aspiring filmmakers, my sincere advice is that they should watch good cinema and must have varied choices of cinema as it's non-ending learning. Also To earn something, you have to lose something. You cannot always live on a double-sided always. To make a good film you will have to go out of your comfort zone first because film is not made by money film is made by passion only

Bio:

Lalit Kumar Jha is a passionate filmmaker with roots in Chiraiabad, Munger, a small village in Bihar. With a background in fine arts and a master's degree from Delhi, [User's Name] transitioned from theatre and acting to filmmaking. Their journey began with the acclaimed short film Last Envelope, featuring notable actors like Annu Kapoor. Lalit Kumar Jha's films, including The Waiting, showcase strong storytelling and aim to contribute meaningfully to society. They have also directed music videos like "Badra Re Paani De," and are dedicated to crafting films driven by passion and a deep understanding of human emotions.

Interviewed & Edited by- Arunangshu Chatterjee