We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ridhi Bhalla a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ridhi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I have done so far is a short documentary film about eating disorders back in my undergrad years. It was one of the most joyful experiences to work on that film and it was a film that gave me true artistic freedom and helped me find my passion for documentary filmmaking. The story in itself was incredible and the people I got to engage with during that shoot provided me with true insights about how trauma and psychological pain can lead to so many struggles that seem physical on the surface.
Ridhi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started my journey back when I was 8 years old. I picked up a camera on a safari trip with family and friends and tried to capture a bird. The pictures were blurry but they diverted my focus on this newfound love for photography and a curiosity towards the arts. I was terrible at painting and drawing so I never thought that I had it in me to be creative but photography evolved into cinematography as I grew older. I fell in love with observing nature and trying to play with lights and colours to draw the perfect image to be captured on the camera. Ever since that day, my love for cinematography and art has grown.
What sets me apart is my creative brain and dedication to understand the story a person is trying to tell. I do not believe in applying the perfect technique to capture beautiful images. I believe that the techniques can only enhance the essence of the story. Once I have understood the story and the vision behind it, the visuals do not need to be created, they come to me naturally and I apply my technical knowledge and skills to bring them forward.
I am most proud of my ability to learn and adapt myself according to what the situation and team demands while keeping my integrity and morality in check.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In today’s times, I believe the best way to support any artist or to benefit from art is to have media literacy. It is very crucial for people to understand how especially visual media and motion pictures are used to convey and bring forward certain emotions in the audience viewing it. If we as informed members of the world understand the tools used to create these emotions, we are less likely to be engulfed by them. It gives us as viewers the power to choose what to consume and what to ignore which in turn helps dedicated artists who create meaningful work thrive and decrease the supply of meaningless brain numbing content which harms us and the society without our conscious realization.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to bring forward as many stories as possible that bring about a change in our thinking and our awareness. My goal is to learn about different stories across cultures and languages and bring them to the world with a universal understanding experience. I want to do this with the help of documentary filmmaking. I believe that documentary films are the truest form of cinema and engaging and listening to other people’s real life stories is what opens our mind and makes us more empathetic towards the world. It makes us realize that even across different cultures we share one common thing, being human.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13914695/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridhibhalla?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ridhi-bhalla-2175411b0?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ridhibhalla?si=RJsdkwdj8-mHwWmp