Allow me to tell you a romantic story of a young man and his journey of making his impossible dream, possible. This is a true story. Within the age of 25, this man had already been the Head Boy/School-Captain in High School, achieved the University Education and a highly-paying, high-status and future-secure job in Bharath (India): A Class One Officer, in the Indian Government Service! Getting such a job is a dream-come-true, for any ‘general’ Indian man; especially when even his father pledged it impossible for him to make it at the ultimate overall-selection of a youth, in all fields of mind, body & soul- the SSB Interviews, done for getting selected in the Military as an officer.

This man secured 2nd position in all India merit. There were many major medical hurdles in front of him: he was short sighted with -4.5 D and -4.75 D and after two rounds of major ‘eye-lens cutting’ Russian operations, he could get what was minimum requirement 6/6. He was underweight by 11 Kgs, and he had thyroid swellings. Thus a major operation followed, cutting most part of his neck and he took injections to increase weight. After clearing all these hurdles, the Military Doctors thought that he gets hyper and sent him to psychologists amounting to non-clearing of the medical exams, but he cleared that too and joined, the Military.

He wanted to serve his country and Humanity and the best job in India, provided him none. He quit all including family, friends, security, money and his past 25 ½ years and came to Calcutta (now Kolkata), which according to an Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi, was a dying city. After spending a lavish life with 5-Star food-living-travelling, living in private beach-side bungalows and an fully Air-Conditioned life; in Calcutta he chose a complete contrast life- poverty, cheapest food mostly once a day, walking long distances, nightmares of shoe-less over-crowded bus travels and extreme hard work.

He started doing Film studies in the American Library USIS, Nandan Film Library, working at Mother Teresa’s home for dying destitute at Kalighat as a volunteer, learning Indian Classical Vocal and Western Classical Piano and teaching high school students, to earn a little money to pay rents for small room shared by working men and students. Within a year in Calcutta, he got selected to the esteemed SRFTI, Satyajit Ray Film & TV Institute, for learning ‘Film Direction’ and ‘Screenplay Writing’ which in place of a 3 year stretched to a 5+ year course due to administration and political tug-of-war. This at least suited him well, as he could continue do all the work he was doing at the Howrah Railway Station picking up dying-destitute taking to hospitals and Missionaries of Charity homes and also working in other Charitable Organizations with prostitute-children and street-children, along with the studies at SRFTI. For him with a camera, knowing what to shoot was more important than knowing how to shoot.

Students and younger teachers felt that he was unsuitable to direct or write films, as he wouldn’t party late nights, campaign against the Chairman, Dean or Director of the film School, smoke grass or booze or do other so called ‘art-boosters’. He was expected to be a wall-flower in the Diploma Film or make compromises which were unacceptable for him. After a huge thing at 1AM on a cold winter night, which became the front page news on Christmas Eve in Sunday Times, he quit SRFTI, never to join back in spite of repeated requests. By the time the students made their Diploma Films, he made his first Film “My Karma” which became talk-of-the-town and won many International awards especially for Film Direction & Screenplay Writing.

Cutting a big story shot, at the same time when his first film was a hot property he was on the verge of starting “Aamar Nijer My Own Inc.” dedicated to the unloved, uncared, friendless and lonely people on Earth. He wanted to start a school for Educating Extremely Poor Muslim Children & making their Women Self-Dependent in the most feared neighborhood of India, in Kolkata: in the ‘Torture Lane’ of the Butcher’s Colony. He wanted to hire good teachers & caretakers and continue with his film-making career to serve humanity and his country. No one came to join him, fearing death; in spite of huge money-offers!! He then decided to postpone his film career and concentrate on the work at the Butchers’ Lane Slum and that extremely challenging and impossible work, consumed nearly a decade which is a different story, unsuitable here.

Now again after gathering nearly a decade of all this huge Multi Billion Dollar experience, he has decided to venture back to films.