BENGALURU: Vinod Rajendra likes to keep it short. And with his concise narration through tight scripts and deft editing, he has stunned audiences around the world, even finding a place of pride in the Oscar library.
The 24-year-old’s short film, Change, which has overtones of philosophy and spirituality, has been well accepted, marking the beginning of recognition which has so far earned him nine international and one national award. “It was indeed a great feeling when the Oscar librarian Greg Walsch watched the film and included the screenplay in the library,” he says.
Born and brought up in Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh and now residing in Bengaluru, his list of achievements is long, unlike his passion for shorts. Vinod has three post graduate degrees, two under graduate degrees and nine short films - including an ad film and documentary - to boast of as of now. He has made films in five languages and dubbed two films in 11 languages.
“I’m untouched by my list of achievements. Many ask me how I feel about the numbers, but it does not bother me. When I was 20, I had only one brief in my mind, to finish my education by 22, but it extended till I was 23. When I joined MS Multimedia in Bengaluru, I wanted to create a strong profile with my short films. Now I have only one ambition, to win at Cannes or Berlin or Venice with my short films. I am trying hard,” he says.
It is also worth mentioning that Vinod’s achievements came without involving professionals or big names in production. “My friends supported me throughout my short film pursuits,” said Vinod who makes his film under the production house, Aarvi Films.
“Winning an award at an international event when we don’t even have an office is not easy. I’ve spent not more than `1 lakh on all my short films. But there was a time when I couldn’t afford to make films. That is when I decided to do something with my already produced films. So I started dubbing Change and another short film, Lepakshi in 11 languages. It took nine months to complete the dubbing process because everyone involved in the dubbing process was a student. A lot of focus was needed and finally it came out well,” says Vinod.
Now, he has set his eyes on bringing out at least five short films by the end of this year. He is currently working on a short film, Qatar Dreams. “In the near future, I would like to do films like The Theory of Everything,” he concludes.