Lakshmi directed by Ritooja Shinde

What did Ritooja Shinde say about her film?

Being an actor, an artist I was always inclined towards watching all kinds of films. My curious mind always made me wonder about how a certain film would have been shot. While acting in various films I realized that this is just a part of film making but, making a film is such a vast journey! Though I enjoy acting and performing in front of camera I always wanted to make my own film. How and when? I had no answers to that.

This story Lakshmi was on my mind from many years. My Grandmother used to tell me stories about cows and their importance in our Hindu culture. “Lakshmi’s” story was inspired from one of such stories she told me during my childhood. And I decided that I want to make this my film because every frame, every scene, every dialogue was already in my mind. This film was already edited and ready in my visuals. So I decided that I want to make it and see if I can actually bring my visualization onto the screen.

STORY BEGINS

When I finally decided to start the recce and pre-production the biggest challenge was the budget! I went to some studios, to some producers who have made films before but none of them were interested to invest in a short film as there are no returns. No one was putting any money so it was a little demotivating.

But some divine intervention happened is what I believe and I got in touch with the producer Anjaneya Sathe. I met him and narrated the story of Lakshmi. He literally welled up after the narration and said that he is not really into film making anymore but he believes that the universe wants him to do this project because just a week before he has adopted a cow!

CHALLENGES

We shot the entire film in 2 days. With unbelievable challenges that were thrown at us because I just dint think through!! I decided to make my first film with an animal who is not trained to shoot in a film. What was I thinking? Nothing was going as per the plan. On the first day the cow became nervous and started kicking around everything. The cow shed we built as our set was destroyed. She was not at all cooperating and I was just sitting with a full crew ready to shoot without a cow…without my main character of the film, Lakshmi!!

It will be too filmy or too unreal if I say that I spoke to Lakshmi in person after that incident and it actually worked. I was about to break down that day because everyone was on set, camera, lights, set was ready, hair makeup team, light men, and around 100 onlookers watching our shoot but Lakshmi was not ready to shoot!

EXPERIENCE 

This film, this story and my experience while shooting this film has been not less that a magical experience… I believe in magic; I believe in divine intervention. And this film is just all about that !