Amit Rai is a writer and director who directed the 2023 film OMG 2. Before embarking on his filmmaking journey, Amit Rai was a teacher. His interest in plays and theatre soon blossomed, leading him to join the Center for Performing Arts, where he started learning Marathi. Studying Marathi literature deepened his understanding of literary works and enhanced his appreciation for them. He directed and acted in several Marathi plays, one of which provided him the opportunity to collaborate with the renowned Girish Karnad.
He in the podcast Small Towns Big Stories talked about his journey of coming this far in the industry while facing the usual ups and downs.
Amit Rai fondly remembers moments from his childhood in the podcast and while talking about his early years said, “Local trains have taught me resilience. I can fall multiple times but can come out of it.” He credits his local train travelling for teaching him the courage not to be afraid to fail and fall.
The writer-director on the podcast admitted his admiration for Bimal Roy when asked about his favourite filmmakers. He expressed that he somehow used to arrange CDs of his Bengali films. Amit has also shared that he takes inspiration from Satyajit Ray.
Talking about his transition from theatre to Cinema, “The first Marathi Film I worked on was Tingya in 2008. The film did well. There was no transition, it was just a couple of friends who convinced me to meet the producer. I met them. I loved the story and I worked on the film.”
Amit Rai in the podcast, shared insights into his journey with Road to Sangam which was his first Hindi feature film. While sharing his journey he said, “ Paresh Rawal said yes to the film in just 9 minutes.” He also happily said that the film won him a lot of respect and gave a boost to his confidence. The film also won him the Gollapudi Srinivas National Award for best debutant director in 2009.
In the conversation, Amit Rai shared an inspiring insight for young directors from small towns: “One does not write a story; the story finds you.” He emphasised the importance of staying grounded, being prepared, and practising diligently. He advised to avoid comparisons and always work with honesty and passion.
When asked about factors that make him successful in this industry he says, “ Always approach your work with humility and work with honesty and compassion. During the interview, he also appreciated the Malayalam film industry for setting the standard high with each film they make.
Amit Rai also talked about his upcoming project which is an escape thriller set in Aurangzeb’s time. He wishes to experiment with each film that he works on and does not want to restrict himself to one single genre.