Producer Rajan Shahi, who was recently honoured with a few awards, opens up about the time when he came to Mumbai and was struggling to get a foothold in the entertainment industry.
Known for his contribution to the Indian Television industry, producer Rajan Shahi is an inspiration to all. The producer has recently been honoured with the Junior Artist Association (JAA) award. Two awards were also given to his production house, Director’s Kut Production (DKP), as well. JAA expressed gratitude by facilitating Shahi and DKP for their work.
Talking about the same, Rajan Shahi says, “We feel humbled... Such achievements make us believe that we are on the right track and also motivate us to do better. Our heartfelt thanks to Junior Artist Association for the honour, means a lot to us.”
However, looking at his success no one would ever say that there was a time when he too was struggling to have a foothold in Mumbai’s entertainment industry.
Yes, you read that right. Starting from scratch and with no godfather in the industry, Rajan Shahi has come a long way. Success does not come overnight. It takes time to become a producer of his stature.
Looking back at his initial journey he adds, “In 1990 when I was still in college, I felt drawn to the industry. During the summer holidays, I used to travel to Mumbai from Delhi and assisted some directors to gain experience. My first job as an assistant was with veteran director Lekh Tandon.”
The first job that he got to work as an apprentice was to control the crowd and make sure the shooting runs smoothly. Later, when he started to work as an apprentice, he used to go up to the junior artists and requested them that tomorrow’s work depends on the way they handle things and cooperate. He also thanked them every time and that always worked.
“My first job was to take care of the passer-by people and work with junior artists closely. During my initial days of struggle, I used to be a part of a crowd of many ads where I was paid Rs 500 a day to stand with others. I did more than 30 such ads,” he shares.
Always ready to give his best, it’s Rajan Shahi’s humility that has always kept him ahead in the game. He is someone who understands the pulse of the audience.
“I want to keep telling stories that I believe in and entertain my audience. I love my work and for me it is everything. It is my place of worship and my team is my family. I want to scale success along with my family,” he signs off.