Headline

Let's Make A Movie

About

Since 1996, I have been making films. My first feature script (1998-2000) was an adaptation of Martin Amis' novel Success, a story about sibling rivalry between two teenage brothers. As a thesis project, it earned me an MA in Screenwriting from the Sorbonne. I then co-wrote Belleville (2001-2002) with Adrien Gombeaud. It was a noir thriller set in contemporary Paris, loosely based on a lot of Hong Kong films and Otto Preminger's Laura. This was followed by Aicha (2004-2005), which I co-wrote with Emma Raguin, and which marks the first time I attempted to tell a more personal story. This script was about a 13-year-old girl, half-French, half-Indian, dealing with a teenage identity crisis. She finds out that she has a grandmother she never knew about, and she goes out looking for her. Though this film never got made, it laid out many of the themes which characterize my work: identity, anti-heroes, and underdogs. In 2000, I started making short films, and to date, I have made 13 shorts, 5 of which have been widely seen and won many prizes. Saving Mom and Dad, speaks directly to my experience growing up Sikh in the Midwest USA. The 15 minute short film has been all over the world, in over 100 festivals in 23 countries, winning 16 major awards and screening on television (ARTE, SBS) I attribute the success to many factors, but one in particular is that I chose a personal story that touches me deeply. A big milestone for me came in 2010, with the transition from short films to features. Callback was my first full-length film. I am currently writing what I hope to be my second feature film. My ultimate goal is to reach as many people as possible with my feature films, and then to use that success to create and run humanitarian projects around the world. Specialties: Working with actors, collaborating with the DP, and always bringing the project in on-time and on-budget. I have also been doing corporate video work, and I have directed 30 industrial films since 2002.

Location

Greater Paris Metropolitan Region

Work experience

Filmmaker at Kansas Films, Jan 2010 - Present · 16 yrs 6 mos, Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Filmmaker at Kansas Films, Jan 2010 - Present · 16 yrs 6 mos, Paris, Île-de-France, France

Filmmaker at Kartik Singh, Apr 2012 - Present · 14 yrs 3 mos, Greater Paris Metropolitan Region, Writing and directing films. Also: Teaching Film Doing French to English interpreter work for live conferences and audience interactions.

Lecturer at Kartik Singh, Mar 2017 - Present · 9 yrs 4 mos, France, This job entails visiting high schools throughout France and lecturing on the works of great masters of Cinema. The first series is on Satyajit Ray. The focus is on Charulata (1964), but other works like Jalsaghar and the Apu Trilogy are also covered. The next ones are Charles Chaplin and his film "City Lights" and the animation film "The Red Turtle". The objective is to prepare the high school students for their baccalaureate exam. Lectures vary in length from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the students' schedules. The lectures are given in French. Conferences have been given at: Lycée Madame De Stael, Montluçon Lycée Blaise-Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand Lycée Joseph Savina, Tréguier Lycée Marguerite de Navarre, Alençon Lycée Marie-Joseph, Trouville La Jetée, Clermont-Ferrand Cinéma Le Morny, Deauville

Silence Radio, a short film written and directed by Kartik Singh at Kartik Singh, Dec 2015 - Sep 2016 · 10 mos, Greater Strasbourg Metropolitan Area, Short film starring Shahana Goswami, Philippe Ohrel, and Mahipal Singh

Writer - Director at École Laïque Française - Feature Film, Jan 2015 - Present · 11 yrs 6 mos, Paris, This feature film project was selected for the 1st Mumbai Mantra Sundance Lab in 2012. That same year, it also was chosen for PrimExchange. Currently seeking a producer and funding.

Interpreter French-English at Sauve Qui Peut Le Court Métrage, Feb 2005 - Present · 21 yrs 5 mos, Greater Clermont-Ferrand Area, Over the years, I have worked for this organization in a number of capacities. Each year, they put on the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. I have been an interpreter (French/English) for various events including the Espresso Debates and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. I have also worked as a translator of written materials for their publications. And finally, I have worked in the pre-selection of films for the international competition.

FILMMAKER (Writer - Director) at LuminouStudios, Jun 2013 - Dec 2018 · 5 yrs 7 mos, New York City Metropolitan Area, Made the film HECHKI, starring Roni Mazumdar. And developed the Bengali-language feature film BARI (Home).

Education

Acting, Bilingual Acting Workshop

D.E.A., Filmmaking, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne