Filmmaker of Hindi, Marathi and English films in Australia: Ashish Sahasrabuddhe's Filmmaking journey

New Delhi: Ashish Sahasrabuddhe, originally from Pune, is a self-made man with humble beginnings, his talent in fields like art and communication, have left those around him spellbound in his versatility as a human being. Despite his abilities, Ashish often found himself overshadowed in a city like Pune, where he didn’t find the opportunities that excites him, or at least the ones he was hoping to upscale his innate talents.

He completed his education in a Marathi Medium school so limited English skills he faced initial challenges in learning intricacies of learning computer programming languages in his initial exposure to the field. Rather than succumbing to disappointment, Ashish refused to give up. While everyone around him pursued traditional careers like CA or CWA, he chose to follow his passion for computers. He never followed the crowd and always stayed true to what he loved, whether it was learning to play the Tabla or enjoying the traditional Marathi dholki. However, despite his efforts, on many occasions he was replaced by someone better at the last minute, he felt overshadowed and under-appreciated by the crowd around him.

Ashish Sahasrabuddhe, Director of THINK GRAND FILMS and Marvel9 pvt ltd, notes on his journey “My confidence kept me moving forward on my path, although I felt that something somewhere was missing, and my potential was stagnating, as I wasn’t able to achieve everything I had aimed for so far in my life; I decided to step up to the challenge and left my comfort zone, by moving to Hyderabad, where I tested my mettle in new technologies. From there, job opportunities took me to the UK, America, and the Middle East, where corporate life with its exceptional challenges taught me extremely valuable lessons. My confidence, English-speaking skills, and various other abilities were honed, tested and improved significantly.”

Eventually, an opportunity arose that brought Ashish to Sydney. Here, he settled down with his job, family, and home, finding a city that offered Pune's cool climate, San Francisco's work culture, and an excellent work-life balance. However, his desire to do something in the arts never faded. Learning from past experiences, Ashish decided to take matters into his own hands and began working on film projects independently.

Ashish’s journey was not a solo endeavour. His wife, Poonam Sahasrabuddhe who had her own successful acting career, played a significant role in their creative partnership. From 2001 to 2004, she acted in various Marathi and Hindi television shows, including “Damini,” “Sambandh” (SAB TV), “Aflatoon” (SAB TV), “Popat Zala Re” (ETV Marathi), “Chaar Diwas Sasuche” (ETV Marathi), “Samantar” (ETV Marathi), “Yeh Dil Kya Kare” (Zee TV), “Kirdaar” (ETV Urdu), “Bandini” (Doordarshan), and “Don’t Worry Ho Jaega” (Sahara TV). She was also nominated for the Best Anchor award by Maharashtra Times for “Popat Zala Re.” Her experience and insights have been invaluable in Ashish’s filmmaking journey, making her an integral part of their shared creative pursuits.

In 2016-17, Ashish created an English film titled *"Just One More Day,"* which taught him a great deal about filmmaking. Following this, he produced numerous user videos and rap videos, refining his skills along the way. The concept of *"Arrived in Australia"* emerged from his interest in connecting new entrepreneurs in Australia with the Marathi community through interviews, helping Marathi entrepreneurs expand their reach.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, when traditional filming was impossible, Ashish came up with the idea of creating a web series using mobile phones and remote direction. He wrote a script and involved several artists from Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth to create the first web series called *"Oh My Friends."* This experience boosted his confidence, leading him to create another web series about the first job experience in Australia, titled *"Oh My Job."*

Ashish states “I always wanted to do something in Marathi, and after the lockdown lifted in 2021, I started my ideation process to make a film in my mother-tongue, Marathi. I created my first ever Marathi dominant 50-minute short-film called *"Ghar Impossible,"* involving actors and cast of a multitude and rich backgrounds and ethnicities, based on various events in the Australian market.”

With the new-gained confidence, that even Marathi is an amazing medium to propagate the messages he wants to reach his audience through his films, he gained the determination to make a his first-ever full-length feature Marathi film, (1 hour, 13 minutes) in Sydney, Australia, titled, *’The Filmmaker’*. Taking on the responsibilities of concept creation, scriptwriting, and direction, Ashish completed the project with Indian, Chinese, and Australian actors residing in Sydney. Without any commercial backing and relying solely on his own savings, Ashish brought this film to life.

The storyline of *"The Filmmaker"* is deeply rooted in reality, portraying the challenges a common man faces when venturing into the film industry—how people mock you, deceive you, and how even friends might fail to help or pull you down. These aspects resonate not just with filmmakers but with anyone endeavouring enough in starting their own business.

The film won the *Best Writer* award at the Marathi International Film Festival in New Jersey, USA, and won Best Experimental Film at the *CAFE IRANI CHAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL* in Mumbai. English-speaking audiences appreciated the film, and thanks to English subtitles, viewers in Australia could easily understand it.

Ashish has now created a six-episode series, focusing on the topic of men’s struggles and expectations from society, in English-Hindi. Recently he Directed a Hindi Film and released it in Cinema halls. Being on an altogether new trajectory, he worked 3-4 months tirelessly day and night to make it ready to be shown in the Cinema halls. This time he wrote the screenplay and also the background score. This film release, has put him to the next level of appreciation in the public’s eye. The astounding response made first time viewers, re-watch the film. Following this, Ashish plans to work on more film projects, including another Hindi film, for which he has already written the script, and plans to begin casting and filming soon, all set to be made in Sydney, Australia.

Reflecting on his journey, Ashish is proud of what he has accomplished. From being an ambition filled person in Pune to actually achieving his dreams and becoming a producer, writer, editor, and director in Sydney, Ashish Sahasrabuddhe’s story is a testament to perseverance and passion. Despite all his achievements, he still considers himself just a mundane person, continuing to pursue his dreams with the same determination that brought him to where he is today.