Making my short film was challenging and deeply rewarding. Throughout, it tested my ability to hold together the creative vision of the film while navigating real-world constraints, like, shooting in a bustling market meant working amidst constant unpredictability. Every moment of preproduction required careful planning and organising, while production required quick thinking, improvisation, and strong coordination with the crew and larger team, and postproduction took unforeseen amounts of creativity and tenacity for working with the inevitable little ways the raw material for edit falls differs the initial script.
 

Working with actors was an intensive learning experience. I learnt how to guide performances toward authenticity, and how to create a space of trust and openness on set, especially with a child protagonist. Balancing this sharpened my directorial instincts and gave me insight into the nuances of collaborative storytelling.
 

 Managing so many variables at once, from logistical and technical to emotional, pushed me to strengthen my resilience, flexibility, and leadership skills. The lessons I carried from Kaanch would eventually shape all my future projects: looking back, it gave me the fortitude for the larger, more ambitious projects that I've worked on since.