Divya Dutta in & as ‘Zuni’

Jyoti Bajaj has written a wonderful script & made it into a short film ‘Zuni’ which is a must watch. Thanks to my buddy Sanjay Matthew who has directed the film for obliging me with an interview with Jyoti Bajaj.

Image: Divya Dutta and Jyoti Bajaj

Rashmi : Can you share a bit about yourself with our audiences?

Jyoti : I have been associated with Ad films, at various levels for a while now. At the same time, I wrote a few scripts for movies. I have written the script of the short film ‘Zuni.’

Rashmi : What is short film ‘Zuni’ all about?

Jyoti: Zuni is about mother daughter relationship. It has a social message. Zuni is each one of us. We love our parents, but sometimes we keep them on second priority.

It’s a blessing when our parents stay with us. Most us move out of our hometown in search of better prospects and finally end up settling far away from our parents. We stay connected with them via phone…some days we connect for long hours, sometimes for 5 minutes. Most of the time we are fighting our own battle, be it personal or professional. At times we weigh professional calls over personal ones, because we know we can always call them back.

But for parents, children remain their priority..ALWAYS. Let us understand that every call is important. It could be the last call.

Rashmi: Why did you think of this subject?

Jyoti : Through this story I would like to give out a message to spend time with your parents- talk to them. Never keep them in second priority. We always think that we can call them whenever we are free and that they will be available for us. On the contrary, we should take out time from our schedule even if we are busy.

Image: Jyoti Bajaj & Sanjay Matthew (Director)

Rashmi : How did Divya Dutta come on board?

Jyoti : As soon as I finished my script, I asked my director if we can get Divya Dutta for Zuni. She is a terrific actress. I could not think of anybody else playing Zuni’s character. Luckily everything fell into place.

She loved the script and agreed to be part of the project. It was a wonderful experience. She is magical on the screen. I completed the draft in August and here we are sitting with the final product in mid November. Everything happened so fast. I am extremely happy with the final output.

Rashmi : When you write a movie do you focus of the business or art?

Jyoti : Writing must have a fine blend of art and commerce. Ultimately any form of art, must see the light of the day. By the time I write the final draft, the script would have gone through multiple changes.

My job is to keep the soul of the script intact. As a writer, I would not like to change even a word in the script. The director likes to keep all the scenes in the film. The cinematographer likes to keep all the shots in the film. ..but we discuss, debate and finally take a decision in the interest of the film.

Image: Jyoti Bajaj

Rashmi : When will the short film release?

Jyoti : Initially, We’ll be sending the movie to festivals. There is a huge market for short films abroad. With the right marketing, we can make a big brand out of short films also. There are some very good, professional OTT platforms( for short films) in India. With the right content and good casting, the film can be sold outright.

Rashmi : What are your future plans?

Jyoti: Just finished writing a woman oriented feature script. It’s a bloody revenge story, to be shot in real locations. There are no over the top dialogues, no six pack characters, but plain real people. The film will give goosebumps…full paisa vasool. I wrote this script with a top actress in mind. I will call you soon with a big news.