Ramesh Katheria is a new entrant to the Hindi film firmament as a director. Hailing from Kanpur (UP) he migrated to the Mecca of Hindi films Mumbai in 2014 to make his mark as a director. I had the privilege of meeting him at the office of Leo Media Publications for this write-up. He is a simple down to earth man with high ambitions and aspirations to soar high in the Hindi film industry and earn name and fame and win universal recognition as a director to reckon with. He runs a training institute for aspiring actors and many students from his institute have today become big actors in Bollywood. Interestingly Ramesh is a Law Graduate (BA.LLB) from Kanpur.
What aspired him to enter the Indian film industry?
‘In my childhood I had the aspiration for Dance. But did not have the sources and had to continue my studios. Somehow I did matriculation. To make both ends meet owing to paucity of funds, started giving tuitions to the 10th standard students to earn and to keep the bonfire of my house burning. My aspiration to become something in my chosen career in the film industry took me to Delhi where I had the opportunity to meet a known film director Mr. A.K.Sharma and was lucky to get a break as a Choreographer.
Later met Ms.Raman Cheema, the Makeup artist, who took me to Chandigarh to meet Mr. Rajesh Sharma a film director who gave me a break as an Assistant Director in his Punjabi film. In the year 2005 floated my own film production house as J.K.Films India and released 2500 Music Videos. “U.P. to Bihar” was my first album as a director, second was “Aye Shama Tu Chale” and my third Album was “Deewana” for which I had entrusted the Music composing of a song to today’s highly popular Music Director Ankit Tiwari, the “Aashique 2”, “Singham Returns” and “Mr X” fame. With pride I wish to state I was the person to give the 1st break to Ankit Tiwari who was a mere keyboard player for his own Jagran programmes in Kanpur U.P. and today he is the most popular and sought after Music Director.
Which is your first assignment in Mumbai?
I was given the opportunity by producer Aaradhana Gupta to direct her horror film “HARRAA” The Revenge of Death. Which is the first of its kind Bhojpuri film in the Bhojpuri Film Industry. It has been a long struggle from 2000 in Kanpur to 2014 Miumbai to make my mark and fulfill my aspirations and ambitions as a director.It give me pride that during the making of HARRAA The Revenge of that I also choreographed all the songs myself since it was my childhood aspiration for dance.
I feel proud that my first assignment as a Horror film director has found an entry in 50 International Film Festivals – The New York City International Film Festival, United States, International Film Award Berlin, Germany, Sydney Film Festival, Australia, Toronto Film Festival, Canada, The Los Angeles Horror Film Festival, United States, Warsaw Film Festival Poland and Moscow Film Festival, Russia.
When the writer met Aradhana Gupta, producer of the Horror film HARRAA The Revenge of Death, she gave me to understand that while she gave Ramesh the first break as a director she felt sure that he will make it as an Independent director, but surprisingly, according to Ramesh Katheria who gave the 1st break to Ankit Tiwari he was not sure that Ankit will conquer the hearts of the film fraternity as a Music Director to reckon with.
HARRAA The Revenge of Death is scheduled for 2015 end release and it is the hopes of Aradhana Gupta, the producer and Ramesh Katheria, director that the film will be received well and the audience will acceptit as a good horror film. This is Ramesh Katheria who has directed the Bhojpuri horror film and in one word it will not be out of ;place to stress he is Ramsay of Bhojpuri.
