Rucha Dhayarkar — “When I project it metaphorically, it opens up the possibility of others being able to see their own story in it.”
Rucha Dhayarkar is a Bengaluru-grown video producer and film maker who graduated from the Srishti School of Art. Currently the Video Producer at HealthifyMe and curator of The Daily Blip, she is constantly looking for new mediums to tell us the stories we want to hear. Her extraordinary clay characters for #100daysofcharacter have garnered a fond online audience and can be found accompanying her to the beach, on flights, on trains, at weddings … you name it. We spoke to her about her creative process and her narrative of storytelling.
Fill in the blank: To be creative is to practice imagination.
It is said, fiction is the great lie through which we tell the truth. In what ways, do you think, does metaphor trump realism when connecting with audiences?
As a story teller, I find it easy to navigate through a narrative with the help of fiction and metaphors as it makes it easier for me to speak of things, sometimes about myself, sometimes about others in details that I may not have had to courage to speak of otherwise. I have found that metaphors tend to make reality far more palpable and tellable apart from that, it also makes sure that the narrative is not uni directional and thus acquires a more universal nature, I might be writing a story about myself and my issues but when I project it metaphorically, it opens up the possibility of others being able to see their own story in it.
Are there any underrated skills taught (or not taught) in design school that you’ve found to be surprisingly invaluable as a professional designer?
Understanding your audience well was perhaps the greatest thing I picked up in design school. Not only did it help me as a Videographer but also as a human being. It taught me how to be empathetic and try and see beyond the singular narrative that is presented to us at the onset of any interaction.
Having said that, I think dealing with the ‘real world’ or the ‘industry’ is something that is often overlooked in design school. It took a long time and a lot of unlearning to gauge the world after getting out of school. Over time I learnt how to handle people, and manage expectations while maintaining your own stand. Also, I wish they taught us how to do taxes.
What would you say is the defining characteristic of “Indian” animation? Do you think there is a visual language particularly in this medium that is specific to India?
This is a complex question to answer. I am still trying figure the exact ‘Indianness’ to our animation and in my opinion so are many other animators. To understand this better, it might help to have some context about the history of animation in India.
For India, animation started with Phalke, when he made a stop motion film called ‘Agkadyanchi Mouj (Matchsticks’ Fun) in 1915. There were some more explorations over the years but nothing substantial. In 1945, a special cartoon unit for animation at the Films Division was set up and Clair Weeks was brought down from USA to train a team of animators. Now Clair Weeks was an ex-Disney animator, who worked on iconic films like Bambi and Snow White. The first film produced by this Clair Weeks trained team was ‘Banyan Deer’ which was essentially a film based on Bodhisatva and was supposed to derive inspiration from the style of Ajanta paintings. But Banyan Deer eventually ended up looking like an Indian Bambi, no prizes for guessing why. In the end, the film failed in bringing a unique ‘Indianness’ to animation. This was a pivotal point in the history of Indian animation, in terms of influencing the style and aesthetic of the future generations of Indian animators, till date.
Having said that, I do see a lot of animators trying to change this, filmmakers like Nina Sabnani, Vaibhav Kumaresh, Shilpa Ranade and recently Abhishek Verma have made a mark in the Animation World with their distinctly Indian narratives.
Do you believe in New Years’ Resolutions? What is something you resolved to NOT do in 2019?
No, I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions, they are a bit over hyped and die off easily. Having said that, I did manage to take a few forward, so let’s not be completely negative about them. This year I have resolved to not second guess myself as much as I do as a creative. I’ve realised it’s the worst way to treat yourself. I’ve decided to have more faith in myself , be okay with it if somethings don’t necessarily work out and embrace failure if it comes to it.
As a creative, what separates work from play for you? Do they often overlap or do you prefer to separate the two?
For me, often the distinction between work and play is rather simple, work is for a client, play is for self, and usually I prefer to keep it that way. Sometimes these lines get blurred when a client project comes along that allows you the creative freedom, sans pressure. Recently I had the pleasure of working on a couple of such projects, The Big Book of Boochandis for Pratham books and another short film for The Internet Democracy Project and it was indeed a fun overlap :)
Does the creative professional in you have pet peeves? What is something that really ticks you off?
People taking credit for other people’s work. Or simply not acknowledging someone’s work, especially with film-making and animation, as they are truly collaborative forms of art, so it is rarely the case that one person made the entire project happen. It’s always teamwork.
If Bengaluru was embodied as one of your characters, what would its most striking qualities be?
Haha! Bangalore would be a kind, loving and accommodating creature. A warm fuzzy friend that you adore but sometimes is just too much in your face, you know?
And finally, to wrap up — How do you spend a perfect Sunday in Bangalore? Any recommendations or must-trys?
A perfect Sunday in Bangalore would involve an elaborate picnic in Cubbon park with my friends, playing frisbee, eating strawberries. And then maybe head to Peco’s for a beer afterwards.
Find Rucha on Instagram @ruchadhayarkar
The daily blip: https://thedailyblip.tumblr.com/
This interview is a part of a series of conversations with designers from Bengaluru called ADI Diaries. You can find more interviews here. Follow ADI Bengaluru on Instagram at adi.bengaluru
