Meet Ruchir Kulkarni
We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruchir Kulkarni and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ruchir, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I grew up in a typical middle-class family in India. My parents were academically oriented, so even as a kid, I naturally thought of becoming a cardiologist or an engineer. However, as I was shy and introverted, I found my escape in movies. They were more than just entertainment to me; a way to dream and break from the mundane reality; where anything was possible. This love for movies slowly turned into a love for storytelling. The turning point came when I made my first short film with a couple of friends. I felt like I found a new medium of expression and never looked back after it. It showed me a path I never thought possible for myself, leading me towards a career in filmmaking. But, it’s something no one in my family had ever considered pursuing. I didn’t know where to start; having no connections to anyone in the industry. And once you are ready to take that leap of faith and bet on yourself, you create opportunities and meet the right people who will guide you.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I stumbled into filmmaking through video editing. Editing is an invisible art form and is the secret weapon of a filmmaker. I got to learn the importance and the power of editing very early. I used to make trailer parodies by mixing a Hollywood movie with a Bollywood. As I made short films as a hobbyist filmmaker, I used to try to edit a scene from what we shot, realize my mistakes, and re-do it the next weekend whenever my friends gave me their dates. Those films and self-taught editing lessons gave me my first gig, as a multimedia team editor at my under-grad institute while studying engineering. The amateur short films I made during those years taught me the fundamentals of filmmaking and landed me my first filmmaking job. This entire experience made me learn three things. One, you create art for yourself, not for others. Second, you need self-initiation to make things happen. And lastly, all you can do is create; sometimes you succeed, but mostly you fail. However, every film I have worked on has made me a better artist.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am from Pune, in the state of Maharashtra in India. The place you’ll find me frequenting is an old Iranian Cafe on FC Road called ‘Cafe Goodluck’. A cafe established pre-independence, famous for its Chai and Bun-Maska(Bun Butter). The place has a legacy of being popular amongst creatives and film industry legends, back in the 70s. For the nightlife, it’s time to hit the streets of Koregaon Park and Camp, for an array of pubs and clubs; serving locally brewed beers to any choice of spirits.
If you find yourself craving a trek, Pune is home to some amazing forts with breathtaking views and silences, which take you right in the lap of nature.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Unlike some other art forms, filmmaking is all about collaboration. A storyteller’s vision is brought to life by people willing to work towards translating it onscreen. There have been so many people who have helped me, in whatever I have strived to achieve till now. But my Mom and Dad are the two pillars who have stood tall behind me from Day 1. They are the ones who backed and supported me when I told them about my decision to venture into filmmaking as a full-time career. They have witnessed me grow and stumble while being my first audience/critics of all the films I made as a hobbyist filmmaker and now as I make them professionally.
Website: filmfreeway.com/ruchirkulkarni
Instagram: instagram.com/engineered_storyteller
Youtube: youtube.com/thetinyfilmshack
Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14608866/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
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