If parents think their daughter writes well, then you should teach her screenwriting…

Suniti Ghoshal- Director, India- New York Film Academy (NYFA)

Suniti Ghoshal is a woman from Bhilai who has a dream of flying high. After studying at the New York Film Academy, she is now teaching filmmaking to students there as a director. This education segment of Grihshobha will today bring to light stories and lessons by looking at the real filmmaking journey of Suniti’s life, through which students can learn as they move toward their careers.

Where did you receive your primary education?

I did my schooling until the 12th standard at the Steel Plant School in Bhilai. Then, I graduated from Ravi Shankar University in Raipur and completed my post-graduation from Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai, studying mass communication. There’s a story behind this. Actually, at that time, I wrote a letter to Pritish Nandy, who was then the editor of the magazine Illustrated Weekly. I told him that I hadn’t passed any entrance exams to become an engineer.

The New York Film Academy made me even better. It opens your mind to how you understand a film, and it expands your capabilities. The teachers there give you complete freedom to learn and present your work in different ways. I felt fearless there. You learn to experiment, which helps you in your creative field.

How did you come back to films after working in advertising production?

When I came to Mumbai, I wanted to become a journalist; I wanted to write about issues that mattered. Once out of college, we were sent to an advertising agency called Leo Burnett. In those days, it was called Chaitra Leo Burnett, and we went through a campaign. We recorded jingles, and we went through an editing studio. It was all very fast-paced, and it completely changed me.

I actually started looking for a job after graduation. My first job was in production, paying a hundred rupees a day. Then I wrote a UTV show. After that, I worked with Sanjay Khan on the series The Sword of Tipu Sultan. I realized I wanted to write scripts; I wanted to get involved in filmmaking. These were all turning points in my film career. Then, when I got the opportunity to work with Shashi Kapoor as an assistant director on the film Ajooba, a lot changed. There’s also a little story about the Bhilai Steel Plant being built by the Russians. My parents, especially my mother, used to send me to the homes of the Russian wives living there to learn the language. Now, Ajooba was an Indo-Soviet film, and I got the job because I could speak Russian. This proves that whatever you learn in life is never wasted.

How did you think about starting a production house?

I think what Bhilai has taught me since childhood is that you can’t give up. When I started my own production house, clients wouldn’t pay. I had to pay salaries. Sometimes, after filming, clients changed their minds and didn’t pay. If you’re new, banks won’t give you loans. There were all kinds of problems, but I learned not to give up. I got used to being pushed around, and I also learned to think about what would happen next—how to make your films look better so that your clients would be happier with you.

According to you, how much scope is there in the filmmaking industry?

Today, the filmmaking industry has seen a vast expansion in scope. OTT platforms have arrived, and language barriers have vanished. Punjabi actresses are working in Tamil films, and Tamil actors are working in Hindi films. There are plenty of jobs for those with creativity. One thing that parents have to understand first is that the producer who is investing money is doing so to make a profit, and for this, they need talent, whether it is a boy or a girl. If parents believe their daughter writes well, they should teach her screenwriting, because every producer needs a good storyteller. Those who fear harassment in the film industry should realize it’s prevalent in every sector today. If you prevent your daughters from advancing because of this, that’s wrong. Parents should empower their children and teach them how to deal with such challenges instead of saying, “Oh my god, this line is bad. Don’t go there.”

What message would you like to give to today’s young generation?

What is your identity? What do you enjoy? What are you good at, and what can you put your hard work into? Consider all of these factors before choosing your career. Whatever you’re good at, put in your hard work, because you can’t achieve anything without it. Secondly, I tell my children and my team to persevere; just like a soldier perseveres at the border, shows complete enthusiasm, and never gives up, so too should you. In your career, even if your boss is yelling at you, someone else is getting a promotion, or you’re not getting good marks, don’t give up because only those who persevere move ahead.

Today’s young generation has little patience. They also don’t understand the truth and seriousness of the information they receive on WhatsApp. Therefore, first verify the information thoroughly, determine the sender’s source, and check whether it’s true. Exercise patience and don’t believe everything as truth. A lot has changed in the last 20–30 years. What the Millennial generation or the Boomers know may not necessarily be relevant to Gen Z. If you are interested in a professional course, think about it when you are 13–14, 16–17, or 20–21. Professional courses like engineering, architecture, design, and medicine require advance preparation, right from school.

Admission isn’t based solely on grades, but rather on a lengthy process involving school scores, national and state-level entrance tests, and individual college exams, alongside requirements like reservation quotas, fees, and documentation. Today, to get admission to most professional colleges, one must first clear entrance tests like JEE for engineering and architecture, NATA, or CAT for business schools. To pass NEET and other medical exams, students need to prepare 6–8 months in advance. This means they begin preparing for college admissions while still in school by joining coaching institutes where the educational pattern is tailored specifically to these fields and subjects.

— Rajni Prasad