THE RIDER, 6min., India, Crime/Drama
Directed by NEEL CHOUDHURY
A rider responds to a young thief with an unexpected gesture. Even he offers him an avenue that can lead the thief to the unthinkable.

http://www.blueyachtfilms.in/

Director Statement
I love stories that keep me glued. That is the biggest aspect of any story that I love. Similarly, when I wrote this short story, I made sure that it has the same quality - intrigue. I finally closed on this subject because I found it simple yet powerful. Also, I didn’t want to reveal anything much when it came to the name, and so I went for a very generic one – The Rider.

There are two characters in the film. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through auditions to select the main character as I already had him in mind. The main protagonist was someone I worked with earlier. But we had to go to great lengths to finalize the other character. We auditioned around 15 to 20 guys yet we did not find the right guy. It was sheer luck that the main protagonist later referred to someone whom we found perfect for the role.

When it came to the location, I did a lot of research, keeping every little factor in mind. I was looking for a location that had a road that passed through a dense jungle of tall trees, where the sunlight could not enter properly. Today, I feel it was a great decision as it turned out to be ideal for the story.

We were also faced with a weather problem while shooting the film. We were almost halfway through the shoot when the weather took a sudden turn and it started raining. Thank God that it was only a drizzle which didn’t hamper the shoot outdoors. But later in the evening, when it started raining heavily, we had to literally redesign the shots once more so that we could finish the entire story indoors. Though the crux of the story remained the same, it was redesigning of the shots that enabled us to finish the shoot within the stipulated budget and time.

Regarding the cinematography, I wanted the film to be shot in a linear fashion. And that is what happened. We started to shoot from the first scene in the story and went sequentially to the end. Another crucial factor was the music, which I wanted to be a little offbeat. It took him some time to dig into the core of the story, but he did so till he came up with a nice piece that represents the story perfectly well.

When it came to editing the film, I decided to give the editor the freedom to give the first cut according to his wish. Initially, I did not give him any input. It was only after going through the first cut that I gave him my suggestions and a bit changes. The final outcome was just as I wanted it – simple and straightforward without any added complications.

Today I feel really excited that everything has come to a highly satisfactory conclusion, and hopefully we can look ahead to a great time at the festivals across the world.