AHMEDABAD: As a star-struck teenager, Surat-born Rajita Shah never imagined her love for vintage Hollywood films on Turner Classic would pave way for her moment in the sun.
“We did not have much exposure to Bollywood. Thus, when I finally encountered it in full force, I was already in the US, studying filmmaking,” she says. Over two decades later, here she is, winning accolades as a producer of sleeper hit Love Sarah – the first movie to screen in the UK and other countries after Covid restrictions were lifted – under her banner Miraj Films.
Shah recently made it to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Breakthrough 2021 list comprising 25 actors, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, etc. working in the UK. She was the only Indian-origin person to receive the 2021 honours, and one of the few to be featured over the years.
“It’s a very prestigious selection by BAFTA that chooses two producers every year. It means a lot of support from the BAFTA team in helping the company expand, assistance in mentorship with big production companies, and creating a solid profile in industry,” said Shah.
Daughter of Surat-based businessman Rajan Shah and Mita Shah, Rajita is an alumna of School of Visual Arts in the US and Royal Holloway London University in production and filmmaking. She tried her hand at short films and direction but realized that production was her calling.
“BAFTA Breakthrough is the recognition for the work I have done in the past 10 years. After Love Sarah, I have been working on two projects including a fascinating real-life story of women’s football in the UK from 1929 to 1970s. Two of my executive producers — Paras Mehta and Kartik Shah — are from Surat,” said Shah, adding that she also plans to adapt two acclaimed books, Our Endless Numbered Days and Kika & Me, for celluloid.
If one compares work with the Indian film industry, the challenges are the same, avers Shah, who has been working in the UK for the past two decades.
“There are only a few women filmmakers in a country like India, which is shocking, given the number of films produced annually. So, I believe that people like me can improve diversity and give an impetus to new voices,” she says.
Through her projects, she also wants to represent the Indian community in India and abroad “in the right perspective”. Her grandmother’s narration of stories of Lord Krishna fuelled her ambition to be a successful storyteller herself one day, she says.
The other films produced by her company include And It Was the Same With My Son, Zohra: A Moroccan Fairytale, Jubilee, and Crimson among others.
“So far, our work has centered around intimate stories, but we will expand the scope in the upcoming projects. If we get the right projects, we will surely work with Indian talents,” said Shah.
