About

Shekhar Bassi with actors Scarlett Brookes and Joshua James on the set of NO LOVE LOST

Shekhar Bassi 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. 

Shalinder Bassi with second A.D. Darren Baba on the set of NO LOVE LOST

Shalinder Bassi is a UK based screenwriter/producer. Musically gifted yet cinema obsessed creative, Shalinder believes good story-telling lives in good writing; good producing lives in a good team of collaborators.

The Bassi Brothers made a creative transition to being behind the camera, from the world of acting and music. The Brothers' first professional screenplay for the big screen 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 feature, 'Sista', which was to be Shekhar's first directorial debut and funding continues to be sought.

Their 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 very long unplanned hiatus, Shekhar returned with another short film for personal health reasons. Working once 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 Ghanian languages. The short went on to win the Best One-Shot Movie Award. Shekhar and Shalinder partnered up with Theatre Producer Gemma Lloyd to develop the short film 'NO LOVE LOST', written by the Brothers, 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 close to three years, 'NO LOVE LOST' had screened at 120 plus festivals picking up more than 38 awards and several nominations. Following on from No Love Lost, Shalinder stepped back k from screenwriting but not the creative process.

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 'Absolute Beginner'. 

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. 

Shekhar has recently, written and remotely directed, two black & white Polish short films 'Strings (Struny)' and 'Dictator (Dyktator)' which were shot on location in Lodz, Poland. Shekhar was in the hospital in London, between spinal reconstruction surgeries and later recovery, when both films were shot.

  1. 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 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, Rolf De Heer, William Goldman, Jane Campion, Claire Denis, Andrea Arnold, Ernest Lehman, Steven Spielberg, Mathieu Kassovitz, Steven Soderbergh, Coen Brothers, Susanne Bier, Sidney Lumet, Ridley Scott, Peter Weir, Mike Nichols, Pasolini, Truffaut, Sergio Leoni

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