Soham Mehta on the sets of his film “Fatkara” (second from left)
Soham Mehta, the 30-year old computer engineer-turned-filmmaker from the US, is well-known for his award-winning short films that have played in festivals around the world. Cruising ahead on the strength of his creative aptitude and dogged determination, he has religiously nourished the cocoon of his offbeat sensibilities, finds Sudhir Raikar in this exclusive conversation with the young achiever and founder of Shunya, a Houston-based theater troupe.
Your formative years seem to have played a key role in shaping your vocation...
Absolutely. I was born in Baroda, India but my family moved to Houston when I was four. As a school going kid, I was rather shy and reserved. But thanks to my teachers who noticed my uncanny ability to memorising lines in a jiffy, I got cast in a school play while in my third grade. The lead role unveiled a potent space for expression that I had never experienced off the podium. Needless to say, I made the most of this opportunity in play after play. It was in high school that I became a writer-director and by the end of my senior year, I knew I wanted to become a filmmaker.
How was ‘Shunya’ born?
Shunya is my attempt of lending a unified voice for the South Asian American community. All this while, I noticed that the Indian theatre artistes here were mainly doing plays from India banking on celebrity appeal or busy Indian language plays. We strongly felt that the Indian American experience, distinct from the Indian experience, should be brought out. Hence we decided on English plays that were free of parochial interests thereby calling for a wider participation.
And I was hell bent on nurturing Shunya as a movement for the entire community, way beyond my personal name. By god’s grace, we progressed well and fast. Our productions like the collaborative play Triple Bill, Karnad’s Hayavadana and Israel Horovitz’s The Indian Wants the Bronx on post-9/11 US were very well received.
What motivated you to pursue filmmaking as a course?
In 1996, I enrolled for the undergraduate film program at the University of Texas in Austin to learn the intricacies of filmmaking. This course ran parallel to my computer science education. In my first year, I was rather put off by the singular focus on the technical aspects of film making. Hence, I switched over to the Theatre Department to learn more about the art of storytelling. To fight the hurdles that blocked the way for minority actors like me, I, along with few likeminded guys, incepted our own troupe called The Drive-By Players” . This was my first lesson in the art and science of running a theatre troupe.
After four years of directing and producing plays, I returned to UT Austin. Here, a Warren Skaaren Fellowship earned me my Master of Fine Arts in Film Production. The academic insights surely help me in my work, whether the film, ‘Survivors’ or ‘Where’s the Party, Yaar?’ starring Karl Pen. (More about Mehta’s body of work can be accessed from http://www.sohammehta.com/films/)
Any influences that guide your work?
My passion for storytelling is largely inspired by the phenomenal work of Satyajit Ray. Luckily, I saw his films at an early age and was instantly drawn to his innovative use of visuals, sounds, gestures and human conflict. Spike Lee is another major influence. I wish to tell compelling stories about people and families going through different struggles, like Ray did. I only hope my films will move audiences in the same way that Satyajit Ray’s films moved me.
Would you like to produce or direct an Indian film?
My affinity for India is rooted in my lineage. Precisely why the ‘desi’ theme still attracts me. And fortunately, there’s tremendous scope for realism in this territory given the kind of clichéd work being rolled out regularly. Given the right subject, I would like to make a film that has India as the focal point. Most important, I wish to remain hungry for work that calls for passion, sensitivity and courage in equal measure, a philosophy that I have inherited from my non-conformist father who had reluctantly arrived in the US years back and now, after carving his niche in a foreign land of captivating charm, is promptly going back to his ancestral home in native Baroda. This maverick voyage is in itself a potent film script.