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Director's cut

The camera has played a very important part in Kishan Shrikanth's life. He started acting at the age of three and became the youngest director on the planet, when he directed a feature film, "C/o Footpath" at the age of 10. The 14-year-old has acted in more than 30 films, 300 TV series and is currently involved in the post production of his next directorial venture.

"When I was acting, I was very curious about the finer aspects of cinema. I used to talk to the directors, the assistants and camera persons about camera angles, shot selection etc. Those sessions not only enhanced my knowledge of the industry and the technical aspects of making a film, but also increased my confidence levels."

Kishan feels that the story is the most important aspect of any movie. "You need a strong storyline for a good movie. You can be technically perfect and yet make a bad movie. The movie, `C/o Footpath' is based on an incident that occurred when I was seven years old. I saw a group of street children and felt that they also deserved to be educated and should go to school. I decided to make a film that chronicles the life of a child, who lives on the streets and eventually manages to secure education." The movie, released in Kannada received great reviews and bagged many awards from across the world.

"I was helped by many people in the making of the movie. I was honoured when stars such as Jackie Shroff and Saurabh Shukla acted in the movie. It was a pleasure directing stalwarts like them. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly." Kishan contends that direction is more difficult than acting. "As an actor, you can deliver your dialogues, shoot the sequence and be done with it. On the other hand, as director, you are the captain of the ship. You need to oversee the shooting, check the shots and camera angles, help with the editing, re-shoot the bad shots etc."

He manages to balance his studies and film responsibilities well. "I have never faced any problems and have managed to score good marks. If I miss any classes, I get help from my classmates and my teachers. I will however take a break from direction in class Ten. I plan to attend the film institute in Hollywood."

Stephen Spielberg is Kishan's favourite director. "I have been inspired by his movies a great deal. I like the fact that he makes movies that break all conventions. The manner in which he deals with all the elements in his movies is indeed spectacular."

Kishan is presently busy with the pre-production work for his next movie. "It is a movie about teenagers and the issues they face. I hope it will also elicit a positive response from the audience," he signs off.

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