The Dream Chaser

Chandigarh was always a cozy,safe haven one could cuddle into and lock the world out. For the first 18 years of her life,Rukmani Bachal did exactly that,at her farmhouse in the city. But the moment she turned 19,she wanted to expand her horizons,gain experience and conquer higher goals. “The city,unfortunately,didn’t offer many avenues,so I left. I lived and worked in Goa,Mumbai and Delhi,in the fields of media and advertising. Now I’m in Los Angeles,and each day keeps me on my toes and that’s exactly how I prefer it,” says Bachal,who runs her production house in LA called Burning Ghat Cinema.

With a Masters degree in fine arts from New York Film Academy,Bachal also teaches MFA-level students in the US. But her primary occupation involves being a film producer. “It’s like knowing a magic trick. I do the stuff nobody understands,and in some cases,dread. I am the facilitator and each project is exciting,” she says.

Over the last 10 years,Bachal has navigated the creative,artistic and logistical demands of different places and cultures. From working with Paul Brown (The X-Files,Quantum Leap and Twilight Zone),Tommy Maddox-Upshaw (Iron Man 2,Couples Retreat),Gil Shilton (Magnum P.I.,Quantum Leap,Law & Order and Beverly Hills 90210),Candido Cornejo Jr (Atlas Shrugged),Matt Bushell (Twilight,Leatherheads),Isaac Singleton Jr. (Pirates of the Caribbean),to Walter Williamson (The Longest Yard),Bernhard Forcher (Supernatural) and Om Puri (Charlie Wilson’s War,City of Joy),Bachal has collaborated with the best in the field. At present,she is undertaking feature-length films as a line producer,attached to web-based projects and is also the Associate Producer for Special Events at the 2013 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

Initially,Bachal tried creative arts,design,even writing,but ended up in disappointment. “It either wasn’t how I pictured it,or I couldn’t find the words to express my ideas. While working at an ad agency,I came up with an idea for a commercial and felt excited about the making of it. At the time,I thought I wanted to be a director. But when I decided to study filmmaking,I read about the producing programme and it excited me,” she says.

After studying at New York Film Academy,her move to LA was spurred by the fact that her films were for niche audiences and LA has a larger support base and collaborators for that kind of content.

Ethnicity,says Bachal,is in demand in the US right now. “The culture values diversity with many opportunities for cultural content and filmmakers. Niche film festivals and grants are geared to help ethnic minorities. Additionally,the industry is receptive to non-stereotypical roles.”

Her inspiration has always been the film Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. “ It is just so cool. Once I started educating myself in film,I started leaning more towards the films of auteurs such as Fellini,Antonioni,Bela Tarr and many foreign filmmakers. Their austerity and complex characters speak volumes.” Bachal is also encouraged by Aamir Khan’s work. While she has been assessing some Indo-US scripts,she finds the accessibility of independent alternative Indian films encouraging. “They are thought-provoking and offer a unique perspective,” she says.

For Bachal,it is crucial to find your balance in order to be content with your destiny. And she found hers on a trip to Varanasi. “It resonated with me deeply,and when I made my first film,Qualia,I had to come up with a name for my production. The name and my first film are my identity as a film producer,” she says. At present,she is working on a project with Shilton. “I’m also developing a feature script adaptation. I am attached to a videogame-based web series that will be distributed online,” she says.