NewZNew (Chandigarh) : It’s been quite a filmi journey for Razneesh Ghai, head Asylum Films is one of the leading production houses in Mumbai which specializes in commercial ad films and television. As the name suggests, ‘Asylum’ gives refugee to creative ideas and ideators as well.
The young and dynamic Razneesh Ghai (Razy) started his directorial journey by joining MTV, and later became part of the core founding team that launched VH1 in India. Razy as people in his circle, far and wide him has had the experience of working with the top brands of the country.
Is madness a vital characteristic amongst the inmates of Asylum?
Yes it goes without saying. But there is a method in the madness we practice. It is anAsylum for the people who respect and believe in what they do. The canvas on which we weave dreams or nightmares alike, has been vast and ever growing.
As the warden of Asylum is your role to spread order or madness?
I am like the Samurai warrior guarding the, “Asylum”. We believe in the Japanese, ‘Art of killing” when it comes to doing exciting work. Here is a quote from Stanley Kubrick that sums it up for us : “If it can be written or thought, it can be filmed”.
You represent the new guard of filmmakers who are rewriting the rules… What’s the biggest change you have brought in?
Yes I think the new guard is bringing about a huge change in the way Indian ads are being shot. I would say we are at par with the rest of the world. I think what my team & I bring to the table is aesthetics mixed with very high end shooting style. It is very common to brand directors in a certain category. But I think we have managed to do work in different genres very effectively and efficiently.
What sets Asylum apart from the herd?
To start with I think our showreel speaks for itself. ‘Asylum’ has been set up with the intention of sheltering strong ideas and ideators. ‘Asylum’ strives to make each project a purposeful one with a radical approach, steering away from the commonplace. At ‘Asylum’ we don’t have mere visualisers or directors. We have soulful storytellers with an insatiable visual appetite.
TV production or Ad films.. what gives you a bigger kick?
Commercials all the way. I love making ads. There is no comparison between TV production in India and the quality of spots being produced here. The adrenalin rush of a 30 sec can’t be surpassed.
Your collaboration with The Sweetshop sounds big & exciting. What’s the buzz?
I think every collaboration helps you grow and the filmmaking future is all about collaborations. We are very proud to represent the Sweet Shop’s roster in India. This partnership should lead to some fabulous co-productions in the future. The Sweet Shop roster of directors is available under its own label within the Asylum films stable, with Bhavna Singh, Executive Producer, as its dedicated producer for both production and talent management.
For sweetshop, It not only works well to have someone on the ground as a local point of contact and knowledge to build the required security for each project, but also allows the directors to focus purely on making the best work possible. And I am very excited as a filmmaker to be a part of their roster of directors. Indian advertising is full of directors coming from other countries and doing work in our markets. So it’s time we go out and do some exciting work in the world market too.
With ISL-Indian Super League, Football finally has something to cheer for in India. Tell us about the challenges faced while making the ad film?
From the script level, we worked very closely with Piyush Pandey, Abhijeet Avasthi and team to bring this idea to life. There were Film Stars, Cricketers, Footballers, hordes of other cast and hundreds of extras in this film and getting all of them together for one film was a mammoth task in itself. It was a very nerve racking 6 days shoot that we undertook with multiple crews shooting at difficult locations and elaborate sets. Most importantly, we had very little time for pre-production and detailed post production. But as a team we kept it together and the end result is a film that we all are very proud of. In the end this film has made us realise that as a team we have come out really experienced and capable of undertaking any large productions of this nature in the future with ease.
What next for Asylum?
A lot of things cooking in the boiler room. I have been working on a Science Fiction feature film script with a friend of mine for almost three years. It is being written by mathematician friend of mine. The Asylum – Sweet Shop tie up, we are very excited about. Some new directors and producers have come onboard. So very exciting times ahead.
