Behind The Lens with Dhwani Shah: A Fusion of Horror, Drama, and Cultural Narratives

In a recent candid interview with Indie Shorts Mag, writer-director Dhwani Shah, based out of Mumbai and New York City, delves deep into the complexities of her filmmaking journey. Having created waves with her short films like ’44’, ‘Sapling’, and ‘Happy F*ing Birthday’, Shah’s passion for exploring a rich tapestry of genres shines through. From the eerie loops of psychological horror to satirical birthday disasters, and the contemplative drama of societal divides, her work is as diverse as it is thought-provoking. Currently gearing towards her upcoming horror feature ‘Tasveer’, Shah shares insightful details on her creative process, technical challenges, and the thematic undercurrents that emphasize the strong female leads and socio-political narratives in her films.

Indie Shorts Mag: What inspired the concept of a time and space loop for “44,” and how challenging was it to bring this complex narrative to the screen?

Dhwani Shah: ’44’ was born out of the idea that sometimes the thing that’s in your way is you yourself. We try escaping the patterns that don’t serve us, but more often than not – it inevitably ends up in a loop. I wanted to explore this idea of feeling trapped through the lens of horror.

Bringing this to screen was a real blood-sweat-and-tears affair. It was like Murphy’s law, everything that could go wrong, went wrong. We were filming in a location which had no electricity and we literally used a 200ft wire to get connection from the ground up. We had two nights to film 15 pages, a lot of guerilla style shooting, a stripped down crew and the cherry on the cake was a raging pandemic. But despite it all, this process gave us all something to ground ourselves in while the world outside was just crumbling. That’s my favourite thing about art. It’s sublimation. It helps me cope.

Indie Shorts Mag: You’ve directed films across different genres such as horror, drama, and comedy. What drives your interest in such a diverse range of storytelling?

Dhwani Shah: The human experience is so multifaceted! From spine-tingling chills to tear-jerking dramas and ROFL comedies, there’s a whole buffet of emotions for storytellers and it’s incredibly hard for me to resist getting in on the action. There is an absurd complexity to every single experience and ultimately it’s about embracing the right genre for a specific story.

A girl getting stuck in a loop of a desolate tower could just as easily be a comedy as it is a horror. So it really boils down to what my impulse is with a story.

And I’m just a big-time lover of movies. I enjoy watching almost everything and I’m way too curious to not try it out. Having said that, I have a soft-spot for horror. I love winding down at home after a long day of work with a hot chamomile tea and a nice relaxing horror.

Indie Shorts Mag: Your films often feature strong female leads and tackle socio-political divides. Can you share your thought process behind focusing on these themes?

Dhwani Shah: For me, putting strong women front and center and delving into socio-political issues isn’t just about storytelling—it’s about reflecting the world around us. Women are a powerhouse of untold stories and resilience, and it’s about time those stories took the spotlight.

And as for the socio-political stuff? Well, let’s face it, we’re living in a world where those divides are glaringly real. The world is plagued with religious atrocities. I am not a saint and as a storyteller, I don’t think it’s my job to inspire change. It is however my aim to provoke conversation. I want to ask the right questions through my work. It’s all about capturing the zeitgeist and hopefully pushing the envelope towards a more inclusive, empathetic society, one frame at a time.

Indie Shorts Mag: How did your experiences in Mumbai and your screenwriting education at the New York Film Academy influence your filmmaking style and narrative choices?

Dhwani Shah: I didn’t realise just how much of Mumbai I have in me until I moved away. The city has this frantic symphony of horns, markets, vendors, people from all walks of life chasing their dreams relentlessly. There is a dichotomy between modern and traditional, wealthy and poor, chaos and calm.
And beyond the chaos, there is a deep sense of resilience and determination. A voice that tells you to keep going no matter what. I could really talk about the city for hours and hours about how it is a kaleidoscope of human experiences. And how that stream pulsates through me.

Born and raised in one of the most bustling suburbs of the city; my films often reflect some of those eccentricities. My characters are often thrusted into mania, searching for answers to all the big ‘why’s of the world – love, god, war and some death for good measure.

I did the one year screenwriting conservatory at NYFA, and it really helped me polish my craft. It was also one of the first times that I realised that my individuality is not as important as my universality. As a storyteller, it’s important for people to relate to you, see you as one of them – and that’s what I honed in my time there.

Indie Shorts Mag: Could you discuss the technical aspects of shooting “44,” especially the challenges of filming in an incomplete building and creating a convincing liminal space?

Dhwani Shah: We had very little means to make that film happen, it was a largely collaborative effort for the cast and crew, and the majority of the finances went towards equipment, locations, sound, music, all those fun things.

The location posed quite a few risks because it was open on all ends, there were holes in some floors and the staircase was entirely open. We just had to be really vigilant and go in knowing exactly what the plan was. Every move / change of location was anticipated and accounted for.

We decided to shoot the film entirely on one lens to accommodate the low budget, but this ended up being one of the best decisions. It allowed to explore uniformity in visuals. Since we didn’t have the money for a focus puller, we chose to film on the Sony Fx6 cine camera. Not only does it have superior autofocus capabilities, but it also has a dual base ISO which helped so much in low-light conditions and we spent lesser money on lights.

If you’d like to know more about this process, you can read the article I wrote on NoFilmSchool: https://nofilmschool.com/horror-short-on-one-lens

We also spent a long time on sound and music making sure every single element was perfect for the story world. The score features a lot instrumentation inspired by metallic, industrial materials like pipes and rods. We tried creating a blend of environment with more traditional horror instruments like the violin.

Indie Shorts Mag: “44” offers a gripping psychological horror experience with its unique setting and storyline. How did you work with your production team to create the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere that’s critical to the film’s success?

Dhwani Shah: I spent months making sure we found the right location for the building. A large part of the production design was the look & feel of the space she is stuck in and we relied heavily on the items that were already present there to dress up our frames.

From sacks of concrete to bricks, pipes and dripping water, we used it all to our benefit. My DOP Vishnu Tenkayala did a great job at lighting some of these elements from below, so they would cast long eerie shadows in the shot.

Horror is a great exercise in world building. And without the right treatment, audio and visual, it can fall flat really quickly.

Indie Shorts Mag: Your upcoming horror feature “Tasveer” sounds fascinating. Can you share more about the concept and what inspired this story?

Dhwani Shah: Sure! Tasveer is a psychological horror where a camera left by a mysterious man haunts a young woman. This fuels a dread of relentless stalking, surveillance and paranoia.

Right around the time I saw ‘The Ring’ as a kid, I was fascinated with the idea of the camera being haunted. It’s the terrifying gaze, that’s always watching, lurking in the corners you can’t quite spot it. And I felt like this was a perfect metaphor for the collective female-experience where we are constantly worried about being followed. No matter what age, race, class — if you’re a woman walking home alone at night, you will constantly look over your shoulder. Sometimes even in the day.

With Tasveer, I want to explore just how terrifying that feeling can be. It’s the male gaze peppered with supernatural forces held inside a haunted camera.

I am filming a proof-of-concept short film for it in May 2024 and the feature will follow soon after.

Indie Shorts Mag: “The Tree with Lights” explores themes of religious bias and childhood innocence. How do you approach sensitive topics like these in your storytelling?

Dhwani Shah: With respect and empathy. Religious commentary can get very controversial very quickly. But illuminating these themes through a child’s eye helps in making them softer around the edges. It also invites a broader audience to engage with it more openly.

I did a lot of thorough research before penning down my script, and it is still a work in progress in some ways, but the idea is to weave these themes naturally and make them integral to the storyline. As opposed to forced and preachy.

The key for me is subtlety and nuance. I want people to arrive at their own conclusions rather than having a clear-cut message.

Indie Shorts Mag: “Ride Or Die” appears to be a departure from horror and drama, focusing on cultural exploration and friendship. What can you tell us about the development process for this project?

Dhwani Shah: Ride Or Die deals with the one thing I’ve been endlessly curious about all my life — death. I’ve never quite understood why we don’t talk about it more. Everyone’s going to die someday, that’s the only guarantee in life. And yet we hesitate to bring it up with our loved ones.

Ride Or Die explores quite a few different death-rituals around the world. From sleek and modern crematoriums to the ancient Torajan burials.

It’s a conversation around death between two friends, and how death is the only reason why life has any meaning at all.

Indie Shorts Mag: As a writer-director, what advice would you give to those aspiring to break into the film industry, especially in creating content that challenges conventional narratives?

Dhwani Shah: Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Create your own. Write your own script, borrow a friend’s camera, shoot on a smartphone, get your friends to act in it, ask your mom to cater for the shoot, go to film festivals, network with everyone you meet, cold message execs on LinkedIn.

This is a tough industry, I am only still taking baby-steps myself. There’s a lot I don’t know. But the one thing I do is that you gotta have a “by-all-means-necessary” attitude if you plan on breaking in.

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Throughout the interview, Dhwani Shah demonstrates an unwavering commitment to not just storytelling, but to provoke thought, conversation, and change through her cinema. Her advice to aspiring filmmakers to “create your own” opportunities underscores the resolve necessary for the craft. With projects like ‘Tasveer’, ‘The Tree with Lights’, and ‘Ride Or Die’ on the horizon, Shah continues to push the boundaries of conventional narratives, exploring the depth of the human experience. As she prepares to bring more of her unique vision to the screen, it’s clear that Shah’s journey is one to watch, aiming to enrich the world of indie films with fresh perspectives and compelling female narratives.