Vinay Bharadwaj: Creativity Is Nothing Without Commerce (Film Director, Talk Show Host & Entrepreneur, 37K Followers)

Vinay Bharadwaj Interview

Focus on what is your story, why are you telling it and why is it important to tell

Q. For those discovering you for the first time how do you describe yourself beyond the titles of filmmaker, talk show host, and entrepreneur? What drives you at your core?

A compassionate artist who likes to tell stories - whether it is through movies, for brands that we work with or unfold other artists’ journeys. Human connections, energy from nature, getting attached to the highest goal and getting detached to the results is what drives me to wake up every morning and give in my best.

Q. You began as a banker and moved into filmmaking and digital storytelling. What was the turning point that made you step away from stability and choose creativity?

Losing a loved one to cancer in 2015 was the biggest turning point. Staying outside the ICU for 52 days and talking to someone who is in a coma and asking the person to wake up changes your perspective towards life and death and everything in between. That made me chose roads less traveled and explore the unexplored.

Q. Talk shows like Star Talk with Vinay and Salaam Namaste Singapore stand out for their intimacy. What is your personal method for making guests disarm their public persona and reveal something real?

I read about my guests and have topics that I want to touch upon. But I do not have questions, never have I gone into a talk show with absolute questions. I love talking to people. I do that with honesty and let the camera capture the magic of that conversation. And as a talk show host one of the more important attributes is to listen to what your guest is saying. 

Q. You’ve worked with artists across geography India to Singapore. How does cultural context shape the way you tell stories on screen, and how do you adapt?

I moved to Singapore to study and it has been home for 20 years now! My formative years have been in a country which is so multicultural and multiracial. As a filmmaker it has given me an exposure to see emotions, behavior of people from across the globe. That somewhere helps me to adapt and think beyond boundaries. 

My first film Mundina Nildana was shot across Karnataka, Himachal, Netherlands. My second Tamil film Sila Nodigalil was fully shot in London. The web series #CoffeeShots was in Singapore with actors from different races. Each of these projects has helped me observe, adapt and grow.

Q. You co-founded Mavendoer, a digital marketing company, before launching MavenIra Gallery. What have you learned about the intersection of art, business, and digital media that most artists underestimate?

We started Mavendoer in 2020 in the middle of COVID. Digital was on a rise but it exploded during the pandemic. Brands realized that digital presence is impotence. Whether its a startup, corporate or individuals selling product, service or art. It taught me that creativity is nothing without commerce and vice versa. 

Now when we launched Mavenira Gallery, art has to be backed by commerce. An artist’s work might be fantastic but if there is no buyer, it won’t help the artist sustain his or her career. So there are important aspects - are you selling something original, is it reaching the right audience and how are you communicating your story.

Q. Filmmaking today is often discussed in terms of virality and metrics. What would you say to young directors who are obsessed with views before craft?

Focus on what is your story, why are you telling it and why is it important to tell. Numbers, reach and success is a sub product. All you can do is make a damn good film that you truly believe in and do it with the best of your capability.

Q. As someone who has built projects across multiple disciplines, how do you differentiate between an idea that should be a film, a talk-show episode, or a business venture?

All three have stories. A story that needs to be 2 hours should be a film. A real life story that needs to come out of the person who has lived it will become a talk show episode and a story that is solving a problem and creating demand will become a business venture.

Q. Your solo trip content and travel storytelling have a reflective tone. What does solitude teach you that collaboration cannot?

Everything that i am today is because of travel. Traveling teaches you adaptability, gratitude, patience and compassion. I love nature and spend days there and that is my therapy, my energy refilled. Travel makes me live life to the fullest.

Q. Launching a gallery is a bold move in a digital age. What gap in the global art ecosystem are you trying to solve with MavenIra Gallery?

I believe Art needs to be seen, felt. While art can be bought online, the impact it has on you when you physically see it is different. With Mavenira the vision is to be an artist-first gallery working with brilliant artists across the world, telling their back stories and giving an art collector or an art lover a strong reason to buy. Art, while it's also an asset class, it is a luxury buy. So we want to redefine luxury while a buyer’s money spent is worth it.

Q. In an era of hyper-personal branding, what does authenticity mean to you especially when your public work involves platforming others?

I only post what I believe in. I try to keep my content as real as possible. The future is authenticity. Be original and be honest.

Q. From interviewing celebrities to nurturing emerging artists, how has your leadership style evolved over time?

Having worked in Standard Chartered for 10 years under able leaders, some taught me what to do and some what not to do. Three biggest leadership lessons I learnt are decision making ability, people management and empathy. Be it as a co-founder leading the team in Mavendoer or as a leader leading 150 people on a movie set - it requires all three to be at its a game.

Q. You are a multi-hyphenate creator. What practices or habits allow you to sustain creativity without burning out?

Spending time in nature, with myself addressing my inner child’s questions and music is what keeps me sane, peaceful, ambitious & creative.

Q. If you could direct a biopic about any real-life figure artist, scientist, athlete whose story would you tell, and why?

Arijith Singh’s journey fascinates me. Would love to get into his head and bring his inspiring story out. Ex Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s life inspires me - the man who built Singapore from a fishing village. 

Bio:

Vinay Bharadwaj is a Singapore-based film director, talk show host, and entrepreneur. A former banker, he has directed films such as Mundina Nildana and Sila Nodigalili. He is also the co-founder of Maven Doer and Maveni Ra Gallery, actively contributing to creative and entrepreneurial ventures across media and film.

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Interviewed by: Nidhi