Inspired by a curiosity of astronomer Bob Williams, who pointed the world’s most powerful telescope at nothing and unlocked and made humungous discoveries about the universe, director Anand Gandhi also has aspirations to find stars where only darkness existed before.
Gandhi has worked towards expanding the paradigm of cinema in India with his films like Tumbbad, Ship of Theseus and An Insignificant Man. As the founder and producer at Memesys Culture, Gandhi aims to discover the brightest stars who will lead his revolution.
Speaking about the process that his studio employs to discern the makers of tomorrow, Gandhi shares:
First, a burgeoning creator must indicate a deep curiosity and comprehension of the human experience. Second, they must rigorously follow through on that curiosity by investing in their education in sciences, philosophy, literature, and cinema. And lastly, they should display some prowess in articulating their insights and abilities, be it through first-draft scripts or early storyboards or short pieces of cinema. When I see signs of curiosity, comprehension and clarity in a burgeoning creator, I invest in the augmentation of their worldview and craft with my full weight behind them.
He also adds that the studio invests significant resources in building talent, honing their crafts, and
expanding their frameworks through education in everything from design and art to science and
politics. And then, when their creators are ready, he shares that they chart a course for them to reach the moon with their ideas.
But of course, there are times when a few ambitious projects also fail to launch. Speaking about how they approach it then, he shares that every hiccup is an opportunity to study more, build a better launchpad, a
more aerodynamic rocket, and make the science more rigorous. He adds, “Any experiment undertaken
with courage and integrity is valuable. In a world of cultural noise pollution and intellectual
laziness, the ambition of originality is worth protecting.”
This bold approach has yielded many successes for creators and the slowly-changing Indian
landscape alike. Gandhi has collaborated with filmmakers like Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shuka on their project, An Insignificant Man. He has mentored Zain Memon from an outreach intern to the special effects supervisor on Tumbbad. Gandhi was also a hands-on producer on SHASN, Memon’s first
major undertaking, and the most celebrated strategy board game out of this part of the world.
Gandhi produced Chaitanya Tamhane‘s debut play, Grey Elephants in Denmark, years before
he went on to make Court and Disciple. Nitin Zihani Choudhary‘s journey from an art intern to a
Filmfare Award-winning production designer under Gandhi’s mentorship is another feather in
Gandhi’s cap.
The newest creators that Gandhi has introduced to the world are Pooja Shetty and Neil
Pagedar, the minds who have jump-started a dialogue around Indian science-fiction with OK
Computer.
Anand says:
When Pooja and Neil first came to me with their idea, I was blown away. They ticked all the boxes in a big way. They had gone through a rigorous peer review program at Memesys. Their vision was vast and I believed in it completely. We were absolutely convinced about taking a bet on these creators, and we’ll do it again.
Now that Shasn and OK Computer are out there for us all to experience, I sure can’t wait to see what
Gandhi and his studio are going to produce next.