WATCHING HIS UNCLE, Bollywood filmmaker Anubhav Sinha (of Article 15 fame), making music videos and films, inspired Anshuman Pratyush to make movies since he was a child. The erstwhile mechanical engineer’s dream of becoming a director wasn’t taken seriously by his family until he skipped the interview sessions after scoring 98.69 percentile in CAT and left for Mumbai. But his career was not strewn with rose petals, as they say.
“Initially, I started assisting my uncle and worked for his production house. Then I returned to Kolkata and lost a lot of money producing TV serials. More so, I lost confidence in myself and almost gave up,” recalls the 33-year-old filmmaker. It was at that juncture of his life that Tolly star Jeet spotted him and took him under his wings. “Jeet gave my career a new lease of life,” tells Anshuman, who started writing scripts for the star’s production house that included Boss 2, Inspector Notty K, and others.
After six years with the company, he debuted this August as a director with Panther, starring Jeet. Lauded by fans, this well-shot movie scores high on action sequences and is on par with any Bollywood movie. So, why did he choose a movie like Panther for a debut? “My father is an IPS officer and since my childhood, I used to hate his profession since he couldn’t make it to any family occasion or festivity on time. But, as I grew up I realised the gravity of his job and now, I have my deepest respect for all those who sacrifice so much for the defence and security of our country. That’s the thought behind Panther , ” explains Anshuman.
Also, Anshuman said nothing could have been better than Jeet starring in his debut film. “Jeet’s completely a director’s actor if he feels that you have a complete vision of what you are making,” he stresses. How has his uncle, Anubhav Sinha, inspired him as a filmmaker? “Oh, I have grown up watching him and I am a big admirer of his work. I just love the kind of cinema he is making currently — the kind of films that touch human hearts and that’s what I too aspire to make,” he gushes. So, what’s his plan going forward? “I have a couple of scripts ready and would like to take them ahead,” tells the humble director, before leaving for a script reading session.