Meadows Film Graduate Living in Hollywood, with Eye on Bollywood

Mehul Shah doesn’t believe in easing into things. While Southern California is filled with people dreaming of a life in the movie industry, Shah has taken a different approach. Rather than standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the legions seeking even the smallest of roles in a movie, Shah guaranteed himself a spot … by making his own film.

Armed with a dual (2003) degree in Cinema and Finance, Shah got his first break when he was cast in an independent film being shot in India. Already bitten by the film-making bug, Shah said there was no decision to be made when the part was offered.

“I knew right away that I had to get started on working in film any way I could,” he said, “so I jumped on this opportunity in India. I got cast in an independent film there, which was a very interesting experience to see how that film industry works, compared to the one here. It is really difficult to break out in that country, and of course I missed home, so I came back and decided that I wanted to make this film I wrote called Diwali.”

Diwali – in which Shah acted as well as directed – marked Shah’s directorial debut, and has given him an initial body of work as an actor.

“Diwali was a story that dealt a lot with my own life,” Shah said. “It deals with the struggle that Indian kids who were born and raised in America have in identifying their true self and fusing their Indian and American traditions. Since I was a first-time director, I knew I would have to do this on a very small ‘indie’ budget scale, which was practically nothing. It was not just for Indians; it seemed to transcend cultural boundaries, since it deals with family, which I didn't see coming. I was really happy that all cultures enjoyed it and related to it.”

Shah said the impact he felt when watching films is what made him decide to learn to make his own.

“I think I always have been in awe of movies, and how they would affect me when I would watch them,” he said. “I think what drew me to film was the acting process, which I studied under Theresa Bell in Dallas. I was very interested in ‘Bollywood’ films (made in India) as well as American films, and through my work I try to fuse those together, since they both were part of my movie ‘diet’ growing up. I love the idea of escapism in film, but also the ability of film to cause so much dialogue and make us question our own lives. I am still an actor here in Los Angeles, which is important because I think as a filmmaker you sometimes are typecast as a filmmaker only, but I was an actor before I started studying film.

Living in Dallas, Shah said, helped him realize that enrolling at Meadows was the logical way to pursue his interest in film.

“I wanted to find a school that had a strong arts program, and I knew of Meadows and the astounding reputation that it has,” he said. “So it was an easy choice for me to come to SMU, since I was in Dallas and wanted to go to a smaller, more focused school. I think I had so many professors who helped me accomplish my goals, but most notably Kelli Herd, who was such a wonderful motivator and taught me how to write good screenplays and the importance of directing actors properly. Also, I loved Sean Griffin’s classes because I gained a knowledge of what makes films important in our society today.”

Shah already has embarked on his next project, which will include some of the same cast from his first film.

“My next film is entitled Bollywood Beats,” Shah said. “It’s a film I wrote that deals with a dance choreographer down on his luck who decides to form dance classes for older Indian women. It’s a light-hearted story that deals a lot with dance, as well as acceptance. I want to get Bollywood actors to play some of the parts, but I also will have a couple of the same cast members from my previous movies. I love working with the same people because we have built a trust and relationship with one another after going through the grueling process of making a movie.”

Shah said he hopes to begin shooting in August, and anticipates a release date in early 2007. Like Diwali, Bollywood Beats is being produced by Shah’s company, Kinetic Films, through which he develops his own projects, and hopes to develop other projects that are brought to him.

Shah said he feels more nervous as he prepares for his second film than he did leading up to Diwali. “I think I might be more nervous with this film since the budget is going to be a couple million dollars,” he said. “This one has a lot riding on it, but I'm extremely excited. Last time, I had to wear a lot of the hats in the filmmaking process – props, location, scheduling, acting, directing, marketing, etc. – but this time I’m glad I’ll have people who will do those roles and I can concentrate on the directing side as well as my character in the film.”

If the response he got from Diwali is any indication, Shah already has made an imprint as a film maker.

“So many people in my community have approached me to ask about helping with my next film,” he said. “I even got a mentee who asks me about filmmaking which I find surreal, since I feel like such a novice myself. It's extremely rewarding to see people accept and embrace me doing something outside of the box.”