Today we’d like to introduce you to Dishant Pujara.
Hi Dishant, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d become a filmmaker. I grew up thinking I should probably do something sensible with my life, which is usually the first sign someone’s lost their mind. In college I majored in Civil Engineering, which I found genuinely interesting but I spent a lot of the time that I probably should have been studying reading, getting distracted, or watching movies. I found filmmaking at twenty four after having worked in the construction industry as a Project Engineer our of college, I was honestly terrible at my job and I probably had no business being in that industry. It felt late to everyone except me because of the strange precision of it, the way one person’s chaos becomes another person’s composition. That appealed to me.
I started in the videography world doing everything from corporate videos to small music videos. Doing that work was helpful in getting experience lighting, working sound, camera, and working with clients. Those early jobs paid for my education far more than any class would have although I got rejected from a film school.
By twenty seven, I talked myself into starting a production company, Mind Light Films. I built it one step at a time: LLC, contracts, website, editing style. For seven months straight, I pitched myself to production companies optimistically thinking people wanted to hire someone with limited experience, but my rejection rate was really high. No one hired me. Currently, my business works with nonprofits of all sizes and causes to create brand videos and mini-documentaries that reflect their purpose and their mission.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, I started writing my own films. I have loved to write ever since I was in elementary school, but I was never willing to show anyone, I have a bunch of notebooks of old stories in an old notebook somewhere. I eventually found that interest extending into learning how to write screenplays. Stories about identity, memory, immigrants finding footing. I created short films that I showed to some friends here and there but recently completed my first short film that I wrote as a proof of concept for a longer feature film. I shot Polaroid on 16mm because film feels alive in a way digital just can’t replicate.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I started late by industry standards, which is a polite way of saying I had to cram years of experience into months while everyone else seemed to know what the hell they were doing. There’s a strange kind of pressure when you wake up one morning and decide you’re a filmmaker without any formal permission.
Corporate video work was my bootcamp. I didn’t enjoy it, but it taught me patience, lighting, and how to smile politely while someone asks if you can “fix the edit by lunch.” Those years trained me to make something look polished even when everything behind the scenes was held together with gaffer tape and caffeine.
Then there was the seven month job hunt where I pitched myself to production companies with heroic optimism. Every no stung, but after the fiftieth one it becomes darkly fun. I was working jobs on the side to make ends meet and my family was very supportive.
Starting my own company came with its own chaos. There’s nothing glamorous about cold calling nonprofits from your living room, trying to convince people you’re worth trusting before you’ve even proved it to yourself. But those conversations built me. They taught me how to communicate, how to listen, how to make films with almost no money, and how to hold a vision steady when circumstances aren’t cooperating.
The biggest challenge has always been internal. I make personal work about memory, family, immigration, grief, all the stuff people politely avoid at dinner. Writing those stories forces me to look in the mirror longer than is comfortable. Editing them forces me to look again. And losing my father a few years back changed the way I tell stories entirely. It pushed everything into sharper focus.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Mind Light Films specializes in narrative driven work for nonprofits, small businesses, and mission centered organizations. Our projects tend to be grounded, emotional and built around the idea that people remember stories far longer than they remember marketing campaigns. Clients come to us because they want their audience to feel something, not because they want a sales pitch.
What sets us apart is the way we approach people. We don’t drop into someone’s world with a checklist and a deadline. We listen. We sit with their mission long enough to understand why it matters. Then we design a film that reflects that in a way that feels honest. Whether it’s a brand doc, a youth program spotlight, or a campaign video for a community organization, we believe sincerity is not an aesthetic. It’s a strategy.
Brand wise, I’m most proud of the tone we’ve cultivated. A sense that the camera is paying attention. That every frame is doing something intentional, even when the budget isn’t massive. We’re small, yes, but small can be precise and thoughtful.
Our offerings cover a wide spectrum: documentary style brand films, narrative commercials, long form storytelling, and creative direction for initiatives that need more than just a video. We handle everything from concept to delivery, and we build projects so they feel handcrafted instead of mass produced.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve been incredibly lucky with the people who’ve stood beside me. My mom and brother have been the foundation of everything I’ve done. they didn’t just encourage me, she created the conditions for me to take risks, think independently, and pursue filmmaking with a sense of purpose. Her support is the reason I believed any of this was possible.
Ritika, my producer, has been the person who keeps the wheels from falling off. She brings structure, clarity and a sense of possibility to every project. Having someone in your corner who believes in the work as much as you do is rare, and she’s been that for me from the moment she agreed to produce my short.
And Nathaniel Regier, my DP on my first short film, offered something I didn’t know I needed at the time: perspective. He reframed filmmaking for me, not as content creation but as something with weight and meaning. His mentorship shifted the way I think about story, craft and responsibility.
Those three have shaped the way I work, and the way I carry myself through the chaos of building a creative career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindightfilms.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindlight_films/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MindLightFilms
Image Credits
No Credits need to be given.
