Watch: Filmmaker Chintan Sarda Enlists Jackie Shroff for Gritty New Short Film

It’s almost as though filmmaker Chintan Sarda’s own life could be screen-worthy ”“ he worked at a leading bank when his love for movies led him to change career paths into directing movies, a risk which was a deal-breaker for his then-girlfriend.

Sarda says he still gave the global banking industry one last shot, moving to London in 2007 but using it as a chance to backpack across 11 countries in Europe. He explains, “I figured, if I get into films I will have to stay in Mumbai all my life since the industry is here. I will probably go to shoot abroad but I will never get a chance to live abroad, so I decided to take a break and travel before even starting the journey. After I exhausted my leaves, the feeling of being stuck sank in, so I quit the job and headed back to India.”

In the next seven years, Sarda worked with directors such as Farhan Akhtar (Don 2), Mohit Suri (Raaz: The Mystery Continues), Abhishek Sharma (Tere Bin Laden 2) and corporate films to get his foot in the door. He says he’s still struggling to find his place, but he’s come a long way. He recalls, “I didn’t even know how to approach people in this unorganized sector. I even went to my first meeting with a director wearing a suit and a tie and he laughed when he saw me.”

Starting afresh and seeking second chances seem to be creative fuel for Sarda, considering his latest short film Shunyata””starring Bollywood veteran Jackie Shroff””is about a remorseful hitman who begins to yearn a life away from bullets and bodies. But Sarda says the film isn’t all that reflective, but there’s probably a link on “some deep subconscious level.” He adds, “In a broader way, I wanted to say that life is not always fair. Sometimes it is the circumstances and conditioning that makes the man who he is and in spite of his honest efforts, he cannot change some things in his life.”

It’s business as usual for Sarda after the release of Shunyata. He adds, “I am pitching my feature scripts to producers to direct. I am looking for work in the space of web series, digital and branded content and even TV commercials.”