Meet Faizan Bazmee | Director and Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Faizan Bazmee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Faizan, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Coming from the vibrant city of Mumbai, known as the ‘City of Dreams’ and the beating heart of the Bollywood industry. I found my passion for filmmaking at a very young age when I saw my father work in this industry and create many incredible films. He is an established director in the Bollywood industry and because of him, I have been able to be on movie sets since I was 6 years old. I always aspired to become an actor when I was young and I also got a chance to work as a child artist in some films. But after being on sets for a few years I actually understood the hardwork and dedication it requires to be behind the camera. Most people are familiar with the well known actors but very few people know about the crew who put in just as much effort to bring a narrative to life. The mere mention of a film shoot sparks excitement in people, reminding me of the impact my work has on the community. It’s a feeling of fulfillment knowing that my work matters to the audience. all in all, the way I have been brought up and the way I have been observing the ways of this industry for a decade now, I feel responsible for all my future work in order to make it as relatable for the audience as possible.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a writer and director, my main motive is to tell stories and bring them to life. What sets me apart from others is the kind of stories that I write; they are unusual, yet the goal is to motivate or bring about a change in the way my audience thinks and feels after watching my films. I have learned that if someone feels uncomfortable or finds something unusual while watching a film, it can strike a change in the way they think and feel. That is my main objective as a filmmaker: to make a positive change in the audience, even though it might not be a positive incident they are watching in the film. It sounds ironic, but I think it works on some level.

The thing that I am most proud of is the last film that I wrote and directed called “The Lost Years.” This film challenged me on many levels, as it was a very difficult script to write, and making the film and finding the budget to produce it was also a very tedious process which taught me many lessons. I was blessed to find people who believed in my script and came along the way to help me bring this film to life. Another thing I am really proud of is the amount of work I have been blessed with so far. Not a lot of people are given chances to work from such a young age in various kind of formats.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about the promising feature film projects on the horizon. Furthermore, the process of writing my own feature film has been a source of great joy and excitement.

The lessons I have learned in this industry are countless, but some of the most important ones include having a very tough skin to sustain in this industry. Not everyone is going to like your work and appreciate you, but you still have to give your best to keep moving forward.

Another lesson that I think is very obvious but people don’t think about much is that you should be the most hardworking and punctual person on set. I say this because most people know their work and might sometimes even be better than you, but what people remember is how you made them feel and how important it was for you to see their story come to life.

Working in this industry is not at all easy. There is a lot of competition, and this industry, unlike others, does not guarantee you will always be working full-time. It depends on how much work is going on around you. It is also very unpredictable, as only you know how you are seeing the film in your head. Conveying that to 200 other people on set and hoping everyone understands that is actually just about faith and trust.

The only way to overcome competition and uncertainty is to keep working hard on your craft and be an easy person to work with, because films are a collective medium that becomes easier if you are easy to work with and people like working with you.

For me, being a filmmaker is a way to enjoy my day rather than just being a profession. It’s about using my skills to move audiences’ emotions, provoke thoughts, and stir their hearts. When people see my art, I want them to be surprised, impacted, and entertained in unexpected ways.
Therefore, even though I go by the name “filmmaker,” I’m really just a storyteller at heart who wants to entertain people.

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.
So if my best friend is here to visit, We first need to visit the Muscle beach Venice and Santa Monica beach where we spend the day exploring around, renting bikes and working out by beach, we need to eat at In and out because who doesn’t love that. I would love to show them around Hollywood walk of fame and then maybe watch a movie at the TCL Chinese theatre or the Egyptian theatre and after that we go to Yamashiro which is an amazing place to get some Asian food along with some beautiful views of the city. We would even go to the Griffith observatory for watching the sunset and spend some time there. I would love to drive them to Malibu for the views and then grab dinner at Nobu.
We would even plan a road trip to some really visually aesthetic place like the Joshua tree or the Big Sur lake.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to appreciate the efforts, love and the mentorship that I received from my father Mr. Anees Bazmee. He deserves all the credit to make me who I am today. I have learned how to keep working hard by looking at him work hard for the past 40 years. He once told me that there is a lot of work in this industry and you will get the work just be capable enough first and work hard everyday to be where you want to be. I also want to thank my Mom Mrs. Fatima Bazmee and my sisters to be the strong support system in my journey. Their encouragement has definitely been a source of my strength and has helped me to navigate my journey with confidence and determination. Lastly I would want to thank my friends who have always supported me and helped make my journey better by being in it.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faizanbazmee?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizan-bazmee-0b53a2151

Other: faizan.bazmee@gmail.com

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