About
Shekhar Bassi (pictured above with Scarlett Brookes and Joshua James) is a physically disabled and neuro-divergent, UK-based screenwriter/filmmaker. Inspired by Akira Kurosawa and Billy Wilder at age 8, Shekhar mutated into a film geek after that and aspires to make feature films that travel the globe.
Shekhar (pictured above with Ohna Falby) made a creative transition to being behind the camera from the world of acting. Writing with his brother Shalinder, Shekhar wrote his first professional screenplay for the big screen. It was based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore, 'KABULIWALLA'.
Following their experiences in the development machinations of 'Kabuliwalla', the Bassi Brothers co-wrote the screenplay 'Winter of Love' with director Shakila Maan. Writing ventures continued with scribing three shorts and another aspiring Anglo-Spanish feature, 'Almodovar Screwed Up Love'. During this time, we also began developing the Sista feature, which was to be Shekhar's first directorial debut, and funding continues to be sought.
Shekhar's experiences went beyond English language projects, co-writing the Lithuanian film 'The Boy And The Sea' with director Tomas Donela. In addition, Shekhar and Shalinder started a co-production with Tomas on a Lithuanian language feature documentary, 'MAESTRO: IN BLACK AND WHITE'.
Shekhar took on his first directorial role with the short film, 'THE FAIRY WHO STOLE EYES', which screened in competition at several festivals.
After a long, unplanned hiatus, Shekhar returned with another short film for personal health reasons. Working again beyond borders, the Brothers wrote and completed a 9-minute, no-budget, ONE SHOT short film 'FAUX DÉPART' with Shekhar directing—the subtitled short employed dialogue in Turkish, Urdu and Ghanaian languages. The short went on to win the Best One-Shot Movie Award. Shekhar and Shalinder partnered with Theatre Producer Gemma Lloyd to develop the short film 'NO LOVE LOST', written by the Brothers and directed by Shekhar.
Shekhar was one of five winning filmmakers in the worldwide Bombay Sapphire Imagination series competition for his comedy short film script 'THE MRS.' The short went on to play at several festivals, including Tribeca and Toronto.
Shekhar was nominated for the 'Satyajit Ray Short Film Award' for the short Faux Départ. Continuing to write and direct, the Brothers saw the completion of the narrative fiction short film 'NO LOVE LOST'.
Finishing its film festival run, which took nearly three years, 'NO LOVE LOST' screened at 120 plus festivals, picking up more than 38 awards and several nominations. Following No Love Lost, Shalinder stepped back from screenwriting to relocate to Italy to concentrate on his young family.
At the New York Screenplay Festival, Shekhar picked up the Grand Prize for Best Feature Film Treatment for 'Caterpillar', which is currently in development.
In the Bluecat Screenplay Competition and BBC/Hidden Treasures, he was a finalist with his comedy short screenplay 'Pants Comrade!'.
Shekhar completed his first feature film, 'Running With Crutches', an AUS/UK co-production, during the COVID-19 lockdown. He co-wrote and co-directed with the brilliant Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds.
During an extended stay of several months in hospital, from 2022 into 2023, undergoing spinal reconstruction surgeries and later recovery, Shekhar wrote and remotely directed two black & white Polish short films 'Strings (Struny)' and 'Dictator (Dyktator)' which were shot on location in Lodz, Poland.
- Ambitions:
- To make movies that make audiences emote.
- To write and direct story-led feature films on the world stage of cinema.
- To write and direct scripted HETV in the UK, Mainland Europe and the US
Influences:
Frank Capra, Ben Hecht, Billy Wilder, Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray, Louis Malle, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, Sam Peckinpah, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, Arthur Penn, Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Cardiff, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Sidney Pollack, Sally Wainwright, Rolf De Heer, Carol Morley, William Goldman, Jane Campion, Claire Denis, Andrea Arnold, Ernest Lehman, Kathryn Bigelow, Steven Spielberg, Mathieu Kassovitz, Steven Soderbergh, Coen Brothers, Susanne Bier, Sidney Lumet, Ridley Scott, Peter Weir, Mike Nichols, Pasolini, Truffaut, Sergio Leoni, Christopher Nolan, West Anderson, Spike Jonze,
External Links