Dream

April 1, 2009, 5 days away from my mom’s birthday. I am wondering if she ever knew, that I would end up being in films. For that matter, even I did not know that I would be getting into films till I was 22. Before that I wanted to be in the Indian Air Force. I grew up in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. My dad was a government employee in the health department. Flying was my life. I was in NCC and I also got my Glider Pilot License. I came third in all India glider competition. I then took the exams for National Defense Academy and got 75th rank in the whole country.

A childhood friend of mine Srini, reminded me recently that in the choices section, where one usually puts down Airforce/ Navy/ Army (or their preferred order), I put down Air Force/ Air Force/ Air Force. I got through all of the selection process and finally went for the medical checkup. I came clean on the medicals too, except my color perception was CP 2. C P 2 rating at that time meant that you will have trouble distinguishing red and green far away. That disqualified be from Air Force. But, I was eligible for Navy and Army. But, wait, I had not put them down as an option. Although I changed my mind, the defense academy would not. That was a fundamentally defining moment in my life. I was shattered! Why did this happen to me!? Life felt muddled and confusing.

But, now it is clear, crystal clear! I was meant to be a filmmaker. The only hint that I would be a filmmaker at that time was that I was a day-dreamer. I know some of you might laugh. But, that is a quintessential quality of a storyteller. I would conjure up these elaborate make believe worlds and scenarios. They were not sci-fi but just extensions of my life and thoughts.

Now, I sit in Hyderabad, years later, awaiting the release of my first feature Boni. It is a Telugu feature length film, produced by Ramana Gogula and starring Sumanth Kumar and Kriti Kharbanda.

I would like to come back to the concept of day-dreaming. For that matter night-dreaming is also welcome ☺. My interpretation of dreaming is that it is an un-controlled, non-judgmental way of exploring yourself. Exploration of oneself is nothing but exploration of the universe. One of my favorite filmmakers is M Night Shyamalan, who starred in an American Express ad. In that commercial he says “my life is taking time to dream”. I love that line. One should do that. One needs to actively engage in dreaming. Am signing off to dream. I hope you do the same!

In Telugu Culture you never say goodbye, we say the Arnold Schwarzenegger line, minus the attitude: I will be back ☺

M. Night Shyamalan American Express Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skw-rKYsXOY