Mumbai: Writer-director Balwani Raajesh has brought his latest short film Ek Nayi Dor to audiences. Starring Jayati Bhatia, Palash Dutta and Vicky Shinde, the film explores the bond between a brother and sister through an emotional narrative set around Raksha Bandhan, while also touching upon identity, acceptance and discrimination. With a story by Palash Dutta and screenplay and direction by Balwani Raajesh, the film aims to challenge conventional ideas about relationships, identity and acceptance.
Speaking about what makes Ek Nayi Dor special, Balwani Raajesh said, “The special thing about Ek Nayi Dor is the fact that the story idea was Palash Dutta’s, and incorporating it into a script was very interesting.”
For Raajesh, collaborating with Palash Dutta also became an opportunity to understand the experiences and perspectives of the transgender community more closely. “It was very interesting collaborating with Palash, especially since he knows so much about the transgender community and their experiences. Their feelings, their emotions, and how they react to different situations were all very interesting to understand,” he shared.
The director believes that presenting a sensitive subject in a relatable manner was one of the biggest creative challenges of the project. “The idea of actually shooting such a sensitive film in a manner that makes people find it relatable and likable at the same time, while touching their hearts, was something very special,” he said.
At its core, Ek Nayi Dor seeks to remind audiences that human emotions cannot be defined by societal labels. Raajesh hopes the film encourages viewers to look beyond conventional definitions of gender and relationships. “We feel that it will definitely touch a lot of people’s hearts and make people aware that these people, who may not identify as male or female, are also human beings. They have their own feelings and sentiments, and ultimately, we hope the film touches people’s hearts,” he said.
Talking about his experience directing the cast, Raajesh had special praise for veteran actor Jayati Bhatia. He described getting the opportunity to direct her as a dream experience. “Jayati Ma’am was actually a dream to direct. She’s very receptive as an actor. She’s also capable of immediately catching what you’re trying to say and projecting it on camera perfectly well,” he said.
He further praised her ability to bring her own ideas into the character. “She spoiled me with a couple of variations, and I was left with a choice of which one to actually take. She also had some improvs of her own and some awesome suggestions, which were all very valid,” Raajesh added.
According to him, Bhatia’s natural performance became one of the film’s strengths. “Her smoothness on screen, her genuineness and her thoughtful, caring nature all come across in the scenes. She’s what I would call a dream actor for a director to direct,” he said.
Raajesh also spoke warmly about working with Palash Dutta, particularly highlighting his chemistry with Jayati Bhatia. “One thing that was fantastic was the bonding between Jayati and Palash, and that is reflected on screen, even though their interactions happen via mobile. The way they just look at each other, even when they are assuming the other person is there, is fantastic,” he said.
The director also believes Dutta’s current appearance gives his character a different dimension. “Palash on screen has a fabulous character face, especially with his current look, and it gives him a completely different dynamic from what you’ve seen him in so far. He’s an extremely sincere actor and wants to do his best,” Raajesh said.
While their creative approaches may sometimes differ, Raajesh said the collaboration ultimately helped strengthen the character. “He always has his own thought process. We can have a little bit of conflict with Palash because we both think differently, but at the end of the day, we manage to resolve it and get the best out of the character,” he explained.
Reflecting on his own journey as a filmmaker, Raajesh mentioned his earlier short films Notification and Good Girl. Notification, which features Shashwita Sharma and Raajesh, is available on Cineshots Premiere on YouTube, while Good Girl, featuring Farida Venkat, Kavita Paez, Simran Nangmani and Dolly Dadlani, is available on Pocket Films on YouTube.
“These are the projects I’ve directed. I’ve also done a couple of other projects as well, but these are the two prominent ones I’d like to mention. Both of these are short films,” he said.
However, Raajesh feels that Ek Nayi Dor has also been personally significant because of what it taught him beyond filmmaking. “I think it has been a learning experience for me in terms of the LGBTQ+ community. I haven’t interacted much with the LGBTQ+ community. I do have friends who are part of the community, but this film, in a way, gave me a little more insight into their experiences and perspectives than I had before,” he said.
For the writer-director, that learning has extended beyond the film set. “I think that is a takeaway for me as a human being, as a creative person and as a director. I hope that this reflects in the film and comes across to the audience,” Raajesh concluded.
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