Samarth Mahajan (born December 5, 1990) is an acclaimed Indian filmmaker known for his documentary films. His works often delve into the lives of ordinary people, capturing the essence of their experiences with a deep sense of empathy and authenticity. His works include two national award-winning documentaries Borderlands (2021) and The Unreserved (2017).
Career
Early Career:
Mahajan was one of the co-founding members of a film production company, Camera And Shorts, which aims to create impactful visual content. His early projects included short films and corporate videos, but it was his foray into documentary filmmaking that garnered significant attention.
Mahajan's debut short documentary, Kazwa - A Million Lanterns (2015), premiered at the BFI Future Film Festival. The film documents a village that promotes sustainable rural tourism through fireflies.
Breakthrough:
The Unreserved In 2017, Mahajan directed The Unreserved, a documentary that explores the lives of passengers traveling in the unreserved compartments of Indian Railways. The film provides an intimate look into the diverse and often challenging experiences of these travelers. The film received critical acclaim for its raw and honest portrayal of Indian society and won several awards at film festivals, including the National Film Award for Best On-Location Sounds. The film received broadcast releases in India and Australia.
Subsequent Works:
Following the success of The Unreserved, Mahajan continues to create documentaries. One of his notable works includes Borderlands (2021). This documentary explores the lives of people living in the border areas of India, shedding light on their unique challenges and aspirations. The film was praised for its sensitive handling of complex geopolitical issues and won multiple accolades at international film festivals, including the National Film Award for Best Editing. The film screened across six continents to favorable reviews, and received a broadcast release in South Korea.
Mahajan's commercial collaborations include working with prominent brands like Vice Studios and Discovery+. These projects have allowed him to expand his storytelling reach and bring his unique perspective to a broader audience. In addition to his filmmaking career, Mahajan is also committed to education. He serves as a visiting faculty member at the Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication (SCMC) in Pune, where he teaches documentary filmmaking, sharing his expertise and inspiring a new generation of filmmakers.
Distribution and Collaboration:
Mahajan has a unique approach to distributing his films, collaborating with film clubs across India and leveraging YouTube. He also engages with the Film Instagram community for promotional activities. This innovative distribution model allows his work to reach a broader audience, fostering a community of engaged viewers. In 2023, he was invited to present his distribution model during a panel discussion at the NFDC Film Bazaar, where his strategies received significant attention.
Style and Influence
His works often feature intimate interviews, observational footage, and a focus on underrepresented communities. He has cited filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Anand Patwardhan as significant influences on his approach to storytelling.
Early Life and Education:
Samarth Mahajan was born in Dinanagar, a small town in the Indian state of Punjab. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Despite his technical background, Mahajan's passion for storytelling led him to explore the world of filmmaking.
Mahajan also attended Ashoka University, where he was part of the Young India Fellowship program. This multidisciplinary postgraduate diploma program allowed him to broaden his academic horizons and deepen his understanding of social issues, which later influenced his filmmaking approach.
Filmography: Documentaries Kazwa - A Million Lanterns (2015) The Unreserved (2017) Borderlands (2021)
Awards and Recognition Samarth Mahajan has received numerous awards for his contributions to documentary filmmaking, including:
References:
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- ^ "Samarth Mahajan | Director, Writer, Producer". IMDb.
- ^ "Sumedha Raikar-Mhatre: Engineering Clicks across India". Mid-day. April 9, 2017.
- ^ "Kazwa: A Million Lanterns (Short 2015) - Release info - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "The Unreserved". May 6, 2020 – via IMDb.
- ^ "How a film shot in general dabba shows the forgotten India". June 22, 2020.
- ^ "65th National Film Awards: Complete List of Winners". News18. April 13, 2018.
- ^ Alexander, Deepa (November 10, 2021). "'Borderlands': Migration and cross-border kinship lie at the core of this film". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ Das, Tina (November 14, 2021). "'Borderlands' shows what it means to live on India's borders today. It counts the human cost". ThePrint.
- ^ Sequeira, Gayle (November 11, 2021). "Dharamshala International Film Festival 2021: Borderlands Is An Engaging Snapshot Of Cross-Border Connection". www.filmcompanion.in.
- ^ "68th National Film Awards winners list: Suriya's Soorarai Pottru wins big". July 22, 2022.
- ^ PR, ANI (July 29, 2022). "Rainshine Entertainment brings home their second National Film Award, wins 'Best Editing' award for documentary 'Borderlands' at the 68th National Film Awards". ThePrint.
- ^ "Borderlands (2021) - External reviews - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Marketing and Distributing Your Documentary once it hits the International Film Festival Circuit". February 9, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Joshi2024-03-21T10:07:00+00:00, Namrata. "Why are award-winning Indian documentaries struggling to find audiences at home?". Screen.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/humans-of-kgp/
- ^ https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/people/a-chat-with-iit-kharagpur-boy-and-filmmaker-samarth-mahajan-on-borderlands-kazwa-the-unreserved-indian-true-crime-and-non-fiction-filmmaking/cid/1890692