College workshop with filmmaker

n city to conduct a workshop on filmmaking for the final-year mass communication students of Karim City College, Rajesh Raj spoke about the workshop and his journey as a director.

The workshop, which started on Monday, has received an overwhelming response from students. “I am not here to teach them film making, in fact the reason I am here is to tell them the small nitty-gritty of shooting and the technical difficulties one will face on the shooting floor,” said Raj.

From camera handling to scriptwriting and even editing this five daylong workshop is a complete crash course on film making be it documentary or fiction. “A good script and then visualising the shot in ones mind is the most important part of film making. Therefore we are also teaching them scriptwriting as part of this workshop,” said Raj, who has also worked as an assistant scriptwriter for 50 episodes of the popular serial Dekh Bhai Dekh.

This afternoon he and his team of students also assembled at the Swadeshi Mela to shoot a film. “The students will make two films — one documentary on the mela and other a four minute flick on female foeticide,” said Neha Towari, the professor in charge at the mass communication department at the college.

Raj has a stark similarity with his mentor Prakash Jha. From the way he dresses up to his favourite topic Bihar. “I was born in a small town called Forbesgunj near Nepal border in Bihar and it was just a chance encounter that I had to move to Mumbai where I tried my luck,” said Raj.

A part of the film industry for the past 20 years now, Raj got his first break as an assistant director for the Doordarshan serial, Sigma, directed by Ashok Talwar. It was during Sigma that Raj met Prakash Jha, another small time but promising name from Bihar in those days.

“I am currently talking to Sahara and Nimbus production for my first full length feature film for which Abhishek Bachchan has already given his nod,” he said.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080207/jsp/jharkhand/story_8872800.jsp