Meet Valmik Puri

We recently connected with Valmik Puri and have shared our conversation below.

Valmik, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

Burnt skin. Wires in his hand. Six strips of Alprax. A glass of water. You have yourself a suicide cocktail. Anil lies on the ground, motionless.

He is the husband of my family’s domestic help, Anita — a vivacious woman who’s been a part of our home for over a decade. Anita’s 7-year-old son Arjun was born in our house and grew up with us in a space resembling the equivalent of a sibling.

He has enquiring eyes and an irrepressible spirit. We call him Google scholar. He already knows about solar flares and the earth’s magnetic field.

However, all of this was upended by Anil’s suicide cocktail, the disturbing peak of a relationship riven by rage and violence. He was determined to take his family back to his village. Afraid of what he might do next, Anita agreed. Amidst high drama, she and mercurial little Arjun were wrenched from our home.

This incident created a three-fold rupture for me. First, there was the void I felt from Arjun’s absence. Second, I noticed their vulnerability for the first time. The next household Anita worked at might not give her respect, and might not extend the same courtesy to Arjun. Thirdly, I became aware of the “almost” in our own home. Arjun had been brought up with “almost” the same opportunities as I. He was “almost” like a sibling.

This experience helped create my framework of empathy. I began to become more aware about the lives of others: their joys, sorrows, dreams and struggles.

The story served as inspiration for my award winning short film, “The Glass Ridge”, which played at festivals in New York and India.

I have a burning desire to make films and tell stories that evoke empathy for characters one might be blind to.

My film-making journey has just begun and I hope to build an eclectic canvas.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I make movies. Short films is the form that I have been working with for the last 4 years. I have made 8 films in that time. Some of which have received critical acclaim in film festivals.

I tend to focus on the themes of betrayal and shifting power dynamics in relationships. I find that these two faucets of humanity are endlessly fascinating and worth exploration. What causes the dynamics of a relationship to tip over the edge? What actions could cause chaos to ensue? What is the impact of the things we say, and the things we choose to keep to ourselves? These are some of the questions that my films explore.

I am currently working on my biggest project so far. A 3o minute short film that will be shot in India, in my home city, New Delhi, and I am beyond excited about it.

It follows the narrative of a boy, Rohan, who gets terribly bullied at school and struggles with his self esteem. He forms an unlikely friendship with his maid, Rupa, an aspiring dancer. But the inherent power dynamics cause a sinister turn of events.

In addition to these passion projects, I shoot music videos for artists of all kinds: from Indian classical dancers, to rappers, to r&b artists, to tabla players fusing house music with Indian classical instruments.

I also edit music videos, commercials, interview context setters and show starters. I was privileged with the responsibility of editing theme films for an international thought leadership conference hosted by the India Today Group, one of India’s most prestigious media houses. The films that I made were broadcasted on stage, and on their 5 television and 8 digital channels.

I was also given the honor of editing a tribute to the Indian Army by the Entrepreneurs Organization in Mumbai, for an event about the army. The film was showcased on stage, and was asked to be replayed after it ended.

I also edited montage style films for SYNAPSE, India’s most thought provoking science, tech, society conference.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Work ethic. Learning to sharpen my work ethic was a big journey for me. It came with realizing the importance of integrity. Any job, no matter how big or small, should be well done. And that impulse should be for your own piece of mind, not to satisfy anybody else but yourself.

Humanity. In the film industry, and in any other industry, skills can be learnt. What’s more important, is who you are as a person. Realizing the importance of being joyous, having a positive energy, and simply being kind is a crucial skill that I have been sharpening over the years.

Empathy. Opening your eyes to what others might be feeling or going through is a skill without which filmmaking wouldn’t exist. This innate quality of mine has been the propelling factor of my career and is what got me interested in making movies in the first place. To share stories, to have that communal experience of feeling, together, for others.

Developing and improving on these skills can be a daunting task. What could help is putting it into perspective. Doing it one day at a time. Slowly, you’ll find that it comes naturally. A big, and important realization is also that you are only in competition with yourself. Treat yourself kindly, but also push yourself to become the best you can be, as both a person and a professional.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I always love working with new, creative people.

If you’re a musician looking for a director/DP for music videos, I’m there.

If you’re a filmmaker looking for a cinematographer, I’m there.

If you’re a fashion designer, looking for someone to make a fashion film, I’m there.

If you’re someone doing a live event, you need someone to shoot it, I’m there.

If you’re a dancer looking to showcase your talent in a cinematic format, I’m there.

If you’re an actor looking for roles, reach out to me, I’d love to see auditions.

Collaboration is one of the main reasons for my passion for this medium.
You can reach me at [email protected]

Here is my reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-LuK2_TP_g&ab_channel=ValmikPuri

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