Born in Puranigudam in the Nagaon district of Assam, Indranil Gayan is engaged with some national and international research projects.

He is also an honourable member of the Society for Srimanta Sankardeva that relates to the greater works of Srimanta Sankardeva and Vintage Assam- a historical and conservation research project.

He did his post-graduation in management information systems and Literature and holds a diploma in mass media and software engineering. His recent short film Revisiting Chaliha (2020) won the Best Director award at the Indian Short Cinema Film Festival.

Speaking to Dipankar Sarkar, Indranil Gayan gives an insight into his work and the journey thus far,

Dipankar Sarkar: When did you get interested in filmmaking?

Indranil Gayan: I have been interested in movies since childhood. So I was drawn to this art form. To speak the truth, movies provide me with mental nutrition.

Dipankar Sarkar: So, how did you train yourself before making your short films? 

Indranil Gayan: It is not that easy to learn the skill of filmmaking. Yet since my childhood, I have been watching many Indian and foreign movies, and have been making sincere and devoted efforts to learn the nuances of filmmaking. Parallel to that, I also studied books on film and theories on filmmaking and tried to analyse them. Thus I have been involved with the process of creation of this art form all along. The learning process continues and will always continue.

Dipankar Sarkar: Tell us about your short film ' Illusion' and what did you try to convey through the film?

Indranil Gayan: What I think, what I am thinking, my mental world, my inner conflicts. The short film “Illusion” was modelled after the hesitation of my conscious-subconscious mind. Though “Illusion” is illusory it is my constant companion.

Dipankar Sarkar: Could you let us know about the structure of your award-winning short film Revisiting Chaliha (2021) during the scripting process?

Indranil Gayan: The dialogues are like pictures of a constant flow of feelings. Everything appears instantaneous. Saurabh Kumar Chaliha is a cult figure of the Assamese short story genre. I get sort of immersed in his short stories. He often appears in my dreams in my sleep. It’s purely a case of dream-reality-illusion. Perhaps it is embedded in my subconscious mind. I reminisce about them often, you can say, constantly. During such a moment an idea struck me and the result is this short film. A few characters from several popular short stories have been picked up portraying their movement and actions as the subject matter in this short film.

A still from Revisiting Chaliha

Dipankar Sarkar: Tell us about the shooting as well as the post-production process of the film?

Indranil Gayan: The shooting of this short film was completed within a day. Commencing from seven in the morning we winded up by one-thirty in the early afternoon as it was carried out during the Covid restrictions. So we had to finish our job within the time frame allotted by the administration. Naturally, we faced some difficulties. We took more than a month to do post-production work. The entire project was completed with very limited resources.

Dipankar Sarkar: Could you talk about the upcoming short film 'Na-oka'?

Indranil Gayan: As a scriptwriter, Na-oka is my third short film. The process of knitting the storyline, scriptwriting had been continuing for a long period. I had been carrying the story in my head for a long time. The story has been divided into three parts. The first part is related to Franz Kafka, the second with Beethoven, and the third with Salvador Dali. Arindom Barooah was the director here.

A still from from Na Oka

Dipankar Sarkar: Why do you prefer your short films in black and white instead of colour?

Indranil Gayan: I had an inexplicable attraction for black and white since my childhood. I enjoy looking at my creative world through black and white only. The following quote by Elliott Erwitt has always cheered me: “Colour is descriptive. Black and white are interpretive.”

Dipankar Sarkar: Any plans for making a feature film?

Indranil Gayan: Certainly there are some plans in that line. I would like to announce that I have written the script as the co-scriptwriter in the first full-length movie of Arindam Barooah. I feel really happy to have been involved in the job.

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