At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the entrepreneurship world. As part of this endeavour, we invited Ritwik Mukherjee for an exclusive interview with us. He is a Passionate Film Maker, Artist, Actor, Director and Leader. Let’s learn more about his inspiring journey, his background and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ritwik:
Talk us through your background and your journey, please;
I’m from a science background as I did Zoology (Hons) for my graduation. Then I went on to study Film and Television production for my post-graduation from Xavier Institute of Communications, at St.Xaviers Mumbai.
But even as a child I was creatively inclined, learning Hindustani classical from my father and painting from various Gurus.
So, while I struggled with my subjects in graduation, my best friend advised me to go for film making courses in my post-graduation. That is how I ended up doing what I do.”
I still owe it to my friend, Soubhik, who advised me or else I might have dabbled with science in my post-graduation too and would have ended up unhappy my entire life.
How did you discover your passion?
I used to enact fictitious films and scripts behind closed doors as a child, pretending to study. So I knew I was imaginative enough. Then as I grew older, my friends and I myself noticed the way I looked at films and analyzed them.
But it was only after I got selected in Xaviers and attended a few classes of Film direction that I realized that this was my true calling.”
One must understand that what you are really meant to do will not make you anxious and burdened. Even at the highest of pressure situations, one will enjoy his job. This I felt once I started studying Film making, and then it was clear for me.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Challenges are meant to be there if one wants to do something out of the ordinary. I have had enough grooming since my childhood under the tutelage of my father, or when he would speak to his friends about the challenges faced by performing artists, hence I was aware that it wasn’t going to be easy.
What drives me is the catharsis I experience once I complete telling a story. In the television format, the story may go on for years, so in that respect, my catharsis is after every scene. Once that happens, I’m driven enough for the next scene or the next day.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
Oh, there are plenty. As a child, my biggest motivations were Ustaad Zakir Hussain and Sachin Tendulkar. They are still my idols, but then now I also have people whom I look up to in the cinema. Satyajit Ray, Rituparno Ghosh are the greats from Bengal I idolise and their work inspires me every day.
Besides these, there are modern-day filmmakers like Shoojit Sircar, Anurag Basu, Dibakar Bannerjee and Imtiaz Ali who inspire me extremely in my craft as well as the content.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Actually, I sometimes feel that having no strategy is the best strategy. Reach your set as a newborn baby and discover everything afresh. But still, for the sake of the question, I believe keeping myself calm and low on temper is something I’ve learnt over the years. The trick is to not get worked up with the umpteen hindrances that may arise every day.
Only a relaxed mind can look beyond them and find a solution. Screaming at people has never helped anybody, that is something I have learnt.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
My job itself is motivating enough for me to keep going. I love telling stories and it is something I live for. Besides that, my music helps me keep myself on the ground all the time.
I have been learning and playing the Tabla since I was 9 years old, and I still continue to learn and practice every day once I reach home from work. It is something that you can’t snatch away from me. The world might turn upside down but I would still find time to sit and practice. It is therapeutic for me after a hard day’s work and keeps me alive.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
Number one is Luck. And I’m serious. But a very close second is honest hard work and then comes talent. Besides these three, one must have self-belief.
No matter who says what, one must be aware of his or her calibre and should not take anybody else’s opinion too seriously.
I also feel a certain amount of stubbornness, for the lack of a better word, is imperative. That will arise from unhindered focus and determination.”
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Clarity of thought is extremely important.
Muddled vision can ruin lives and careers.
Keep realistic goals but also be equally ambitious.
There’s no harm in dreaming big, but one must be ready to go through a torrid time of struggle and pain to achieve it. Rarely will one find success without the amount of labour required to get it.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
