Meet Kalpak Deshmukh

We were lucky to catch up with Kalpak Deshmukh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kalpak, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I think my resilience comes from curiosity and a deep love for creating. Whenever I hit a challenge, my first instinct is to figure out how it works and how I can make it better. That mindset has carried me through every stage of my journey, from teaching myself new tools to working on complex shots for film and television.

When I look back, moving into visual effects from a completely different background taught me a lot about patience and growth. I’ve learned that every obstacle has something valuable hidden inside it. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but that’s usually where the most interesting discoveries happen.

I also draw strength from the people around me. I’ve been lucky to work with artists who are generous with their knowledge and passionate about what they do. Their energy reminds me why I chose this path in the first place. For me, resilience isn’t just about pushing through. It’s about staying curious, staying inspired, and finding joy in the process, no matter how tough it gets.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a VFX Artist who loves bringing imagination to life through visual storytelling. My work focuses on creating realistic simulations like fire, water, destruction, and cloth, the kind of effects that make a scene feel alive without drawing attention to how they were made.

What excites me most is that every project is a new challenge. One day I might be crafting a massive explosion, and the next, simulating something subtle like fabric moving in the wind or dust reacting to a character’s footsteps. It keeps me learning constantly, and that sense of discovery is what drives me.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to contribute to shows and films that I genuinely admire, such as The Boys, One Piece, Abbott Elementary, Emily in Paris, and features like Weapons, The Conjuring: Last Rites, and Him. Each one has pushed me to think differently and refine my craft.

Right now, I’m focused on continuing to explore how technology and art come together, especially through procedural workflows and simulation-driven storytelling. I want my work to not just look impressive but to serve the story and emotion behind every shot.

At its core, what I do is about curiosity, collaboration, and the joy of seeing something that once existed only in an idea come to life on screen. That feeling never gets old.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I think the three most important qualities that shaped my journey are curiosity, patience, and adaptability.

Curiosity has always been the spark behind everything I’ve learned. The more I asked, “How does this work?” the deeper I got into visual effects. That curiosity turned challenges into opportunities to experiment, fail, and eventually figure things out. My advice to anyone starting out is to never stop exploring. Even if something feels outside your comfort zone, try it; that’s where growth happens.

Patience is something that develops over time. In VFX, you might spend days on something that only lasts a few seconds on screen. Learning to enjoy that process, instead of rushing to the result, makes all the difference. The best artists I’ve met are the ones who take the time to refine every detail, no matter how small.

And lastly, adaptability. The tools, techniques, and workflows in this industry evolve constantly. Being open to change and willing to learn new ways of doing things keeps you relevant and inspired. Don’t be afraid to start over, relearn, or rebuild; it’s part of the creative journey.

If you nurture these three qualities, everything else, the technical skills, the artistry, the confidence, naturally falls into place.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I start to feel overwhelmed, I try to pause and step back for a moment. In visual effects, it’s easy to get caught up in the technical details or long hours, so taking a little distance helps me see things clearly again. Sometimes that means going for a walk, listening to music, or just disconnecting for a bit to reset my mind.

I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t thrive under pressure; it grows when you give it space. So instead of forcing a solution, I remind myself that it’s okay to slow down. Usually, when I come back, I find a better way to approach the problem.

Another thing that helps is focusing on progress, not perfection. Even small steps forward matter. Over time, I’ve realized that feeling overwhelmed is just part of pushing your limits, and it often means you’re growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kalpakdeshmukh.com/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/kalpakdeshmukh
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13683084/

Image Credits

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