Reel Driven

During the last one year,while attending classes on filmmaking at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios,Los Angeles,Tishaa Khosla gave attention to every little detail about filmmaking with one sole aim,which was to make use of the information as soon as she landed back in India. “I always knew I would come back and work in Bollywood,because if there is a film industry that is as successful as Hollywood,it’s ours in India,and I want to be a part of it,” says 21-year-old Khosla,whose core strength is writing and directing. Back home,it was not long after she circulated her resume across tinsel town that an offer came knocking and she packed her bags and was transported to the sets of Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer Bodyguard,where she was one of the four assistant directors to the director,Siddique. It was a dream come true,but soon Khosla realised that theory is different from practice. Recalling her first day at work,she says,“I had no clue and the first thing they told me was to ‘get Kareena Kapoor’. How does one do that?” says Khosla.

Pointing out that the job has its pros and cons,Khosla recalls that there were days when she would be running errands and doing chores,but she admits that she learnt a lot too. “I learnt implementation of shots and how they are translated from words to actual magic on-screen. When you watch Salman do all those action sequences,it is out of this world,” says starry-eyed Khosla. In charge of continuity of shots,set-up and clothes,Khosla feels that it’s easier to stay behind the scenes than in front of the camera. “Actors are put through so much,but I was pleasantly surprised because Kareena and Salman were both very disciplined and hardworking. Kareena would be on time,had no tantrums and was a thorough professional,and so was Salman,” says Khosla.

As the film releases today,Khosla is all set to watch it with her family and friends. “I want to direct films across different genres,from youth-oriented to thrillers to realistic and women-centric,” she says,adding that she wants to refrain from “arty” films. “My films will be a good mix of art and commercial cinema,” says Khosla,who is already working on the screenplay for a thriller. While she wants to gain experience as an assistant director before making her own film,she is also writing a sequel to her novel,Pink Or Black. Nominated for the Indianplaza Golden Quill,Pink Or Black is about life in a boarding school,and Khosla is penning the sequel from where she ended part one. “The second one will be set in final year at the boarding school. It will be about college,career choices and growing-up issues,” she says.