FILM INTERVIEW: VANDANA TILAK

 

Behind the film is Ms. Tilak, a photographer-turned-filmmaker who felt compelled to bring the story of Destination Imagination to the world. Just the same, Buzzine’s Neha Sarin-Malhotra was equally compelled to bring Ms. Tilak’s own story to the world.

 

Below is a transcript of their candid conversation:

 

Neha Sarin-Malhotra: What is your background?

 

Vandana Tilak: We came to the U.S. in 1983, and because I was a photographer, I could see it as I was writing my stories. After we came here, we got busy with our business of aluminum, and then a couple of years ago, because I was still very active in photography and I had started writing stories, I decided to launch my own film company, so I decided to go to school first and learn what filmmaking was about. So I went to USC, and in June of 2009, I launched Bombay Pictures. Since then, we have been very, very busy.

 

NSM: Why filmmaking? Why not just photography?

 

VT: It just was a natural thing... As you tell a story when you take a photograph, whether it’s a still photograph or a movie, both can convey the same, but when it comes to story with a timeline and a beginning, middle, and an end, then you have to have moving pictures. It was a natural transition for me. Because I was a photographer, I could see it as I was writing my stories. They had a very visual moving image in my mind.

 

NSM: You are pretty active with the community. Tell us how...

 

VT: We were very active with the Marathi community when we were working with the Maharashtra Mandal. For many, many years, I was the chair of women’s Maharashtra Mandal. I got busy with business conferences. We were a couple of years before TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) came into being. We held a business conference which linked U.S. businesses to India. We kept doing a lot of events together, either on the business front or the social front. Then we got busy with the American India Foundation. It’s just an evolving thing. When people want our help, we are always there.

 

NSM: Tell us about your film. What made you choose the subject?

 

VT: The film is about a global creative challenge-solving competition, and it is worldwide. (More than) 160,000 children took part in it, from 30 countries in 18 languages. It’s called Destination Imagination. My son Kedar was in the competition for four years. They went from regional to state, and then at the national level at Knoxville (Tennessee), where they won. That gave a huge insight into what a competition like that does to a kid. They came together as a team of six children. They knew teamwork, they were very creative in choosing material, they had to present it to an audience, so they made their own sets. They had to write scripts, made their own costumes, they wrote their own stories... It was a real collaborative effort. Some of them were music minded, so they laid heavy emphasis on the music. It was mind-opening because my son learned a lot. He was a natural; he found his leadership skills in Destination Imagination. So I pitched it to them and asked if they would like me to make a film, and they were very keen and provided me with all the media rights. The film started last year and it is now complete, and we are now marketing it to theatre, to TV, DVD, and all sorts of things.

 

NSM: Has it been to film festivals?

 

VT: We got the Best Documentary Feature award at Los Angeles Film and Script Festival last month. It’s very exciting, as it's gotten very good reviews and people like it. It has lots of children from ages 10 to 18. It makes people sit up and say, “How come I don't know about it? I want my child to be a part of it.”

 

NSM: Who have been your inspirations?

 

VT: It’s not really one person, as every filmmaker has their own style and talent and uniqueness. It’s not possible for everyone to be perfect, but what they do is be creative, so it’s the art that inspires me.

 

NSM: What else are you up to?

 

VT: We are already working on a scripted TV series. We are working on a sci-fi action thriller. We are in talks with Canada for a docu-series. We are also talking regarding documentaries on India.

 

NSM: Where do you hope to be five years from now?

 

VT: Five years from now, we would be making a difference in how people see documentaries. We are hoping to work with upcoming and talented writers. So in five years, I see myself working with the best people in Hollywood and Bollywood.