It’s amazing how simple it is to create a cinematic short! Just gather a group of friends, a script, and the necessary technology. Without a doubt, not! Short films have their own set of restraints, such as conveying ideas in a short amount of time, captivating watchers, and creating unique concepts and aesthetics. Take Storiyaan’s word for it, concise storytelling can be a daunting task! However, ‘Aathmana’ manages to grab the eyes and hearts of the audience.
Anuroop is currently working in a firm called EY in Bangalore as a Manager for the Technology team. He is also a passionate filmmaker and has been a part of a few short films and music albums. And ‘Aathmana’ is the most successful work he has done so far. When the pandemic struck the entire world, brought our routines to halt, and gave a different dimension to our thoughts, Anuroop decided to contribute toward raising awareness about the importance of appreciating and valuing life, through Aathmana.
Shot during the lockdown, it wasn’t easy for Anuroop and his team to complete the movie. The shooting was restricted to indoors only and the entire script had to be reworked to comply with the restrictions imposed by the government. Another challenge was bringing together everyone during the pandemic and having the right enthusiasm and willingness to work as a team. Their hard work and dedication paid off when the film won several accolades such as Honorary recognition for best actor in the Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Canada, a finalist in Hollywood International Golden Age Festival in New York, USA, and official selection at Venice Film Awards, Italy, Pheonix Shorts, USA, and Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival, Canada among many others!
He considers this short film as the best start. “It was a blessing in disguise and taught me lessons, provided lessons, experience, and feedback from multiple platforms and people,” he tells Storiyaan. Anuroop says his projects in the future will be festival-focused, as the aim is not to gain massive profit and large commercial hits but to convey strong social messages and create meaningful and artistic content. And film festivals are the finest venues for bringing such films to light, where they can receive the praise and recognition they deserve.
Being a movie buff, Anuroop loves being an active part of National as well as International film festivals as he gets to observe and learn from the various movies which are featured at these events. “It gives me the right motivation to reach my goals of getting into the mainstream,” he says. Lately, he has also dived into the field of scriptwriting and two of his movie scripts are ready but their work is yet to commence. Making movies is his passion and something you’ll see him doing in the long run!
If you wish to learn more about the amazing Anuroop Valsalan visit him on his Instagram linked to this feature below.