In a country, where talent was used to come after looks and style, some
artists have changed the track of such perspectives. They are popular
among people not because of their “Greek God” appearances, but because
of the hard work and efforts, they put into their passion. Punjabi
artist Minar Malhotra is one such artist, who believes in paving his way
towards success, but only with his passion and endurance.
Punjabi filmmaker Minar Malhotra started his career as a 3D animation
tutor in Delhi. But, destiny had some different plans for him in the store
that Minar had to leave his job and start everything from scratch, not once,
but multiple times.
“I took a loan for my sister’s wedding, but was unable to repay it to the
bank. I went broke and life took an upside turn. At that time, everything in
life seemed blank and all I cared about was to do anything to take that
burden off my shoulders…So, I took decisions being completely unaware of
the outcomes,” recalls Minar, the writer and director of critically acclaimed
Punjabi film Dulla Bhatti, which starred Binnu Dhillon.
After witnessing major setbacks in life, Minar was offered a film editing
project by a filmmaker from Ghana. In Ghana, not only he did handle the
editing part of the film but also became its director. And, now he believes
that his visit to Ghana was a turning point in life. He decided that once
getting back to India, all he would do is filmmaking.
“Just after I landed in India from Ghana, I started meeting people from the
Punjabi film industry. But, no one offered him money at the beginning. ‘Par
meine soch liya tha ki bhookha mar jaunga, dobara job nahi karunga, karze
utar gaye they, roti gurudware mein kha loonga, par kaam toh yahi
karunga…’ That was my commitment with myself and I was absolutely sure
about it. You can say that had I found my true calling,” says Minar.
However, things were never easy. From making his presence felt as a
director to getting his solo projects, everything tested patience.
Shares Minar, “Initially, I got good scripts to work upon, but no one was
ready to invest in them as producers. Sometimes, I had some potential
producers, but potential scripts were not there. I had to work with whatever
I got, however, I got. Although I knew I could do better than that, I didn’t
have the resources to give shape to my actual vision.”
And, that was the time when the filmmaker decided to write and direct his
own venture “Dulla Bhatti”, a film which successfully created a buzz among
film buffs.
The son of a bookbinder, for Minar nothing came on platter. Even his dad
would suggest him not to dream big. Recalls Minar, “I clearly remember
when my father said to me… ‘Beta tu bookbinder ka beta hai, tu kahan ye
filmon ke sapne dekh raha hai… Yeh hum jaise logon ke bass ki baat nahi
hai…’ But, I am on to my journey to make my father feel proud and prove
that my decisions are worth the results.”
Today, after having spent almost half a decade on filmmaking, Minar is
ready to add yet another feather to his artistic hat. His debut single track
“Red Suit”, which he has not only sung, but also he has featured in the
song’s video.
Minar says, “Music was always a long-cherished dream. But, you cannot
chase your dreams to make them true until you prove your potential to the
world out there. I came nowhere and I was no one. Not a single person in
generations of my family has been into this industry. But yes, now I believe
is the right time to chase everything I dreamt of as a child.
“That child never knew that “Apna Time Aayega”, but now that the time has
arrived, I will make the best of every moment and entertain people to the
best of my capabilities. There are many more projects to come, be it as a
filmmaker, as a singer or as an actor. I don’t want to label myself. I am an
entertainer,” adds Minar.
The things that Minar Malhotra talks about life and success today were not
the same a few years back. Rather, he didn’t even know what success means
and how he could achieve it. But, today with the little success that he has
earned for himself, he wants to inspire the aspiring artists, who have no
“god-fathers” in the entertainment industry, but their talent deserves every
bit of success.
“I know what struggle means to an artist, but a single ray of hope can take
artists like me in a long way. If I can be that ray of hope to someone out
there, I will never hold myself back,” concludes Minar.
“Red Suit” is receiving an overwhelming response from the listeners and
because of this, Minar has got the opportunity to sing the title track of his
upcoming directorial film “Wadda Bai”.
The song has been collectively presented by Raag Music and Morya Films
Entertainment.
