Mithun Chakraborty's son, Ushmey on writing his own success story

All the years of making small independent films paid off when, at 21, Ushmey wrote, produced and directed the short film Life, Somewhere, which won The Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival

Bollywood legend Mithun Chakraborty's second son, Ushmey, has been garnering acclaim in screenwriting competitions. He says, "I made it to the top 15 per cent at the Academy Nicholl Fellowship [which was established by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1985]. It's been an exciting journey so far," says Ushmey. His new romantic-comedy, She Can Fly Too, is being recognised at various international screenwriting competitions. The story revolves around a plain Jane who gets the opportunity to be with the town superhero when she gets super-powers. Raised in a family of actors, Ushmey was exposed to cinema since childhood.

"It's a cliché to say this, but I was raised on film sets. Watching how a movie was made is like watching magic, and I always wanted to try my hand at it," adds the writer. Ushmey started making movies in his teens with his camcorder, with his father playing a sharp critic. He adds, "He would watch my movies with a critical eye and give me feedback, teach me everything from lenses to story and acting. It was like going to a film school, free of cost."

All the years of making small independent films paid off when, at 21, Ushmey wrote, produced and directed the short film Life, Somewhere, which won The Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival. "I knew that I'm on the right path and I could make a career out of this," he says. Ushmey then went on to assist filmmakers Gaurab Pandey and VK Prakash under Chariot Films; simultaneously, he continued to make his own movies. "There is no better education than doing it yourself," explains Ushmey, who has recently finished a stint in Hollywood with Gabriel Cowan of Foundation Films and Harlan Freedman from INE Entertainment. Ushmey is currently working on the pre-production of his new short.

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