It is common to see actors going on to direct a film as an extension of their creativity. What is not common is to see a young woman actor/dancer stepping behind the camera and attempting a suspense horror thriller as her debut short film. Shaalin Zoya attempted this without any prior experience behind the camera or working as an assistant and after overcoming criticism and discouragement from various sectors which she still faced this time around too.
It is common to see actors going on to direct a film as an extension of their creativity. What is not common is to see a young woman actor/dancer stepping behind the camera and attempting a suspense horror thriller as her debut short film. Shaalin Zoya attempted this without any prior experience behind the camera or working as an assistant and after overcoming criticism and discouragement from various sectors which she still faced this time around too.
Proving that creativity is not limited by age, the short film Revelation, directed by Shaalin garnered a good response in the online medium and gave her renewed vigour to come up with her second directorial venture- a short video titled as ZITA which will be released on Tuesday on the occasion of Women’s Day.
If Revelation was shot completely indoors, this time Shaalin took ZITA outdoors — a conscious decision. Talking about the theme, she explains, “ZITA is about a woman going on a road trip all alone and discovering the joys of discovering herself. It is about a woman celebrating her existence and is a completely feel-good video. What you constantly hear or read about are acts of atrocities committed against women but I wanted to steer away from negative issues and show a woman enjoying and revelling in her freedom. The three-minute video can be termed philosophical and is purely experimental in nature. I am super excited about the video and hope the viewers like it too. I wanted to release this film on Women’s day because the theme is inspiring.”
It is Shaalin herself who has played the role of the solo traveller, but one she admits was more of a convenience-based casting. She reveals, “I did not plan to play the lead but getting some other actor to travel extensively through Kerala would have been taxing. So I opted to act in the video.” No doubt it would have been tough for her to act and direct and Shaalin agrees, “The concept is also mine and it was a challenging task as a film maker. The team travelled to some wildly breath-taking but dangerous spots in Kerala to shoot the visuals and have captured hills, lakes and places many in Kerala don’t know about.”
The team she worked with was excellent providing her all technical and moral support. Though she debuted as a child actor through a hit serial on TV, Shaalin has always been passionate about direction. Not many know that she has also written scripts and novels. Her ultimate dream? “I want to direct a full length film one day!” About her detractors, she says, “Frankly I don’t pay attention!”
