<p>How difficult is it to juggle a full-time job and your passion? Ask Naveen Dwarakanath, an IT professional-turned-film director, who has successfully managed both with ease for over two decades.</p>.<p>His inspiration to make films stems from his childhood. “My mother, who is a school principal now, got me hooked to plays, mono acting, and mimicry since my childhood. I joined P N Rudrappa’s theatre group in college and after getting into C R Simha’s theatre group in 2004, I worked on my desire to narrate stories. My aim was to make short movies with a strong social message,” he says. Naveen has six short movies to his credit; ‘Shadow’ (2005), in English, was his first one. It was screened in Suchitra Film Society to a packed audience. His second movie ‘ArivinaHaadi’ focuses on how children from villages migrate to big cities with dreams, but instead fall prey to drugs, alcohol, and wrong-doings.</p>.<p>“I am quite observant and most of my ideas are triggered by real-life instances that happen around me,” he says. ‘Yellow Board’ is another project close to the director’s heart. It was inspired by his wife’s experience in Chennai.</p>.<p>It explores the nuances of the language barrier faced by a young non-Kannadiga girl when she hails a cab in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>Naveen points out that film screenings and the way films are being made have changed over the years, thanks to technology. “I remember a time when we showcased our short movies to more than 6,000 children; we had to carry a television set because the government schools did not have projectors. Today YouTube is a powerful medium, though there are both pros and cons. While it enables people from all around the world to watch my work, the negative aspect is that anybody with a phone camera can upload a video and call it a short film. There is no need for aesthetic sense or vision and this is unfortunate,” he says.</p>.<p>He is currently gearing up to direct a feature film in Kannada which will be produced by friend and fellow movie-buff Naveen Rao. The commercial film, titled ‘For Regn’, is slated to be a romantic comedy with actor Pruthvi Ambaar of ‘Dia’ fame playing the lead role. Vivek SK is the cinematographer and Harisha R will compose music for the movie.</p>.<p>Though the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted finalisation of the locations and shooting schedules, Naveen remains optimistic. </p>.<p>“The constant support from my parents, wife, family and friends has been a huge motivating factor in everything I do. I have realised quite early in life that providing for one’s family is important so I always tell people to have a secure job and then follow their dreams,” Naveen says.</p>
<p>How difficult is it to juggle a full-time job and your passion? Ask Naveen Dwarakanath, an IT professional-turned-film director, who has successfully managed both with ease for over two decades.</p>.<p>His inspiration to make films stems from his childhood. “My mother, who is a school principal now, got me hooked to plays, mono acting, and mimicry since my childhood. I joined P N Rudrappa’s theatre group in college and after getting into C R Simha’s theatre group in 2004, I worked on my desire to narrate stories. My aim was to make short movies with a strong social message,” he says. Naveen has six short movies to his credit; ‘Shadow’ (2005), in English, was his first one. It was screened in Suchitra Film Society to a packed audience. His second movie ‘ArivinaHaadi’ focuses on how children from villages migrate to big cities with dreams, but instead fall prey to drugs, alcohol, and wrong-doings.</p>.<p>“I am quite observant and most of my ideas are triggered by real-life instances that happen around me,” he says. ‘Yellow Board’ is another project close to the director’s heart. It was inspired by his wife’s experience in Chennai.</p>.<p>It explores the nuances of the language barrier faced by a young non-Kannadiga girl when she hails a cab in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>Naveen points out that film screenings and the way films are being made have changed over the years, thanks to technology. “I remember a time when we showcased our short movies to more than 6,000 children; we had to carry a television set because the government schools did not have projectors. Today YouTube is a powerful medium, though there are both pros and cons. While it enables people from all around the world to watch my work, the negative aspect is that anybody with a phone camera can upload a video and call it a short film. There is no need for aesthetic sense or vision and this is unfortunate,” he says.</p>.<p>He is currently gearing up to direct a feature film in Kannada which will be produced by friend and fellow movie-buff Naveen Rao. The commercial film, titled ‘For Regn’, is slated to be a romantic comedy with actor Pruthvi Ambaar of ‘Dia’ fame playing the lead role. Vivek SK is the cinematographer and Harisha R will compose music for the movie.</p>.<p>Though the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted finalisation of the locations and shooting schedules, Naveen remains optimistic. </p>.<p>“The constant support from my parents, wife, family and friends has been a huge motivating factor in everything I do. I have realised quite early in life that providing for one’s family is important so I always tell people to have a secure job and then follow their dreams,” Naveen says.</p>