Keeping it real and allowing stories to find you
From Rishi Chandna
VCspotlight is a bi-monthly interview series with the documentary filmmakers and video journalists who comprise our global filmmaking collective.
Mumbai-based Rishi Chanda’s first film, Tungrus, starts with an unusual premise: a local middle-class family adopts a chicken. In Chandna’s words, the film has resonated with a wide audience by presenting “a universal idiom while retaining local idiosyncrasies.” The documentary has appeared in The New York Times’ Op-Docs channel, Atlantic Selects, Criterion FilmStruck, and Aeon Magazine. The film also screened at the Consortium’s monthly gathering in New York earlier in 2019, and was received with a massive amount of laughter and adoring applause. Chanda is now developing the screenplay for his first feature-length fiction film.
Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
I grew up in the city of Calcutta in India. I now live in Bombay.
What’s one thing in your work bag that you can’t live without?
A good sunblock. And my inhaler (I’m asthmatic. I literally can’t live without it.)
What was your first-ever job?
My first job was selling personal loans for a bank. I sucked at it and realized that I’m no good at selling anything. My first film-related job was shooting behind-the-scenes videos for big budget Bollywood films. I saw firsthand how hierarchical those film sets were, with the crew being divided into A,B,C; there was no dignity of labour for anyone except the HODs (director, cinematographer etc.) — even the food given to the B&C crews was unhygienic.
What was the first film or video that you worked on?
I’ve been doing commercials for a while to pay the bills. It’s not creatively satisfying; in fact, it’s soul sucking work. I had to decondition a lot of stuff I’d learned before making Tungrus and it felt liberating. I don’t think an independent filmmaker can truly balance both kinds of filmmaking. With Tungrus, I’ve wiped my slate clean. I consider Tungrus my first film ever.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing and developing my first feature-length fiction film which is about the intoxicating impact of wealth on the human spirit. I want to work on the film in a non-commercial paradigm and that’s not easy. Figuring out how not to be beholden to funding as well as figuring out the limitations that are appropriate for the film are my biggest challenges right now. I’m trying to work through them by searching for a producer who will trust my vision and my sensibilities.
How do you know when you’ve found a good story?
Good stories find you, and then the shaping of them begins. That’s, at least, been my experience with Tungrus and with what I’m writing now. Being receptive helps. A good story for me is one that can be told in a universal idiom while retaining local idiosyncrasies.
What’s a ritual or mantra that’s particularly important to you as a filmmaker?
I’m not one for rituals but something a filmmaker I once worked with said this to me and it stuck. He said “Always remember you’re a mongrel.” Read as: Don’t work with a sense of entitlement, keep it real.
What’s your favorite question you’ve asked an interview subject? How would you answer it?
Question: How has having a rooster at home affected your social standing?
My answer: My popularity has soared. And it helps with my social anxiety as I find it easier to start conversations.
What inspires you?
Seeing a strong film made by a first-time filmmaker gives hope and inspiration. On some days, sitting and staring is enough. Usually a bit of everything is helpful in finding a new way of looking at something.
Are there other resources or communities that VC members should know about?
A film club here called Aabobo. Well curated screenings every 3–4 months and a solid fraternity that is supportive of indie filmmakers.
