This document summarizes an interview with Indian filmmaker Divya Unny. She discusses the importance of soft skills like empathy, problem solving, teamwork, coping with emotions, self-reliance, and active listening for independent filmmaking. Unny notes that filmmaking requires empathy to make stories personal. She says schedules often change and problem solving is key. Teamwork is essential but filmmakers must also be self-reliant and trust their creative instincts. Coping with emotions on set and giving others space is important too. Lastly, Unny believes active listening to feedback can help filmmakers improve and avoid conflicts.

1. Interview of an independent
filmmaker:
DIVYA UNNY
By:
Sonia Sharma
Pratyasha Sarkar

2. Soft kills in film making: Soft skills are something which are
usually taken lightly.
Independent film making is such a thing which needs all of the
soft skill sets as said by Divya Unny. It is not just being creative or
having different ideas.
Hello everyone, today we are interviewing Ms Divya Unny.
She is an Indian filmmaker, actor and former journalist. She was
born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra where she graduated
from the SIES College of Science, Arts and Commerce with a
bachelor’s degree in mass media.Divya Unny is known for 'Hotel
Mumbai' (2018), 'India's Most Wanted' (2019) and 'Traffic' (2016).
She has directed the Award winning film 'Her First Time' (2018).

3. How important do you think
Emapthy is, while making a
film?
For a film maker, who is also
telling a story visually, it is
very important for the person
to have empathy. To make a
film more personal and
organic, and when it becomes
personal, it feels more real
and closer to oneself.

4. Does everything usually go
as planned according to the
shooting dates and schedule?
Film making is something
where there is no control
over everything. Even if
someone plans and
schedules everything out,
nothing goes according to
that most of the time.
Something or the other gets
in during the shoot. So, to
be prepared to solve any
problem out right there, at
that moment is very
important for a film maker.
Problem solving is another
important soft skill needed.

5. We know, in independent
film making, you are the
sole controller of thing. How
do you manage for everyone
to work according to your
needs?
Team-work/team building is
a very important aspect
when it comes to
filmmaking, without a team
it is difficult to make a film,
and it is very important to
give equal important to
every person in the team.
Every opinion matters for a
better outcome.

6. Does the cast and crew
become emotionally
involved in the film making
process?
Coping with emotions:
When a filmmaker is on the
set and when he/she sees
that the shot is coming
beautiful, that makes the
director overwhelmed with
emotions and not just the
director, sometimes the
actors also gets into the
role. When one knows how
to cope with emotions, that
person knows how to give
others space to cope up with
the emotions too.

7. While team building is
important, how important is
self reliance while making a
film?
When it comes to
filmmaking, it is basically
visual story-telling. So, when
someone is writing a story,
he/she knows how to put it
visually. Team building is
important but being self
reliant too. Maybe a
filmmaker is sharing his/her
views to other members of
the team, but the writer
knows the best how to put it
up on the screen, he/she has
to believe in his/her
instincts. A person can not
always be relying on others.

8. We are emotional towards
our film and very sensitive
involving feedback. But this
is the most for a filmmaker
to pay attention to, so that
they know and correct their
mistakes, avoid conflicts and
assess the market scenario.
What do you think?
Active listening
A filmmaker always thinks
his/her work is the best and
if he/she puts it up in a
certain way, then the
outcome will be beautiful.
But it is also very important
to listen to others when
someone has to say
something, that also helps in
the betterment of the
outcome.

9. THANK YOU