Musically-inclined since her childhood, Krishna Bhatt aspired to be a pianist when she grew up. But a chance encounter at her father, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt’s office during a summer holiday, changed her aspirations forever. “He was editing the film 1920 and I was completely enthralled by what I saw. The world of filmmaking enticed me so much that I started writing under my dad’s guidance and I realised that I wanted to be a filmmaker like him,” recalls the beautiful young director.
Krishna debuted as a director with the web series Untouchables in 2018 and since then, she has directed a few web shows including Maaya 2, Maaya 3 and Twisted 3. She has also got an award for best director for Maaya 3 by Talent Track, which is considered to be one of the best digital content awards in the country. Currently, she is parallelly working as a first-time producer for the feature film Hacked, which explores the negativity of hacking in an individual’s life, and directing Maaya 4. We talk to the young director who believes that “nothing is absolute.” Excerpts:
How has been your journey so far?
I started from the bottom of the rung with no special concessions made for me. Nothing was served on a platter and I slowly made my way up. Right from hitting the clap and handling costumes to finally becoming a director — the journey has been an enriching one and I’ve learnt a lot.
I have learnt to be calm and how to get what I want without becoming agitated, to get the performances I want out of the actors without losing my patience. It has been a beautiful journey so far. People think it’s easy being an industry insider but it’s actually tougher since we have a name and legacy to live up to and the pressure is tremendous. It’s a difficult journey and I am negotiating it slowly and steadily.
How much have you learnt from your father?
I have assisted my dad in six to seven projects and have learned so much from him, starting from handling actors and how to manage people on sets and nurture them to get what you want.
What is Maaya 4 about?
It is a love story of a couple from Indore who come to Mumbai to live their dreams but it’s their dream that comes in the way of their marriage and how their marriage gets strained. It’s a story of ambition versus love and how unbridled ambition can impact marriage. It’s about how a girl gets addicted to life outside marriage and how she reunites with her husband.
Any other upcoming projects?
There are a few in the pipeline but nothing concrete as of yet.
How do you want to grow as a filmmaker? Who is your ideal or favourite filmmaker?
I want to create more web shows and films, love stories and drama. I am very influenced by American TV shows and I love Martin Scorsese’s work apart from my father’s and Mahesh Bhatt’s. Maaya 4 will stream on MX Player soon.
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com
@sharmidas
PS: Do you agree with Krishna Bhatta that it's tougher for kids from within the industry to create their own identity?