In this special Industry Spotlight, a WAVES Film Bazaar 2025 feature, filmmaker K. Rajesh joined Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director, Copyright & Digital Economy, Motion Picture Association, to reflect on a career driven by curiosity, empathy, and observation. He described joining the Film and Television Institute of India after a decade in government service, where watching world cinema on celluloid sparked his interest in both fiction and documentary. His debut feature, Chor Chor Super Chor, grew from research on Mumbai’s pickpocketing subculture, while Shahabad Express was inspired by a news report about a Haryana village producing India’s top women hockey players.

Rajesh stressed that strong filmmaking requires careful observation and human connection, skills film schools should teach early. On financing, he acknowledged early support from a close friend but emphasized that young filmmakers must pitch clearly, communicate passion, and understand budgets while remaining flexible. He also recalled the Hubert Bals Award, which provided crucial validation and support during the writing stage, even though the project later stalled.

In 2016, he founded the Children’s Film Academy to address India’s lack of authentic children’s cinema, running workshops, school programs, and international collaborations, including introducing a major Cinematheque Française initiative to India.

Rajesh credited Waves Film Bazaar as pivotal for his latest independent feature, providing access to producers and funds that would have been otherwise unreachable. With part of the financing secured, he had begun casting theatre-trained actors and fresh talent suited to the film’s world.

For creators pitching at Waves, he advised clarity of story, vision, execution, and budget, so producers could fully grasp both the artistic ambition and practical plan.