Rueful Raju

The film,along with with another Indian entry,Six Strands,is part of a shortlist of 80 selected for the competition,from more than 5,000 entries from across the globe.

“I was working in the Spanish Harlem (commonly known as East Harlem) region in one of the stores and after interacting with the people there,I was privy to many stories about debt ridden families. To document these incidents,my story is based on fictional characters,” says Bajpai,over the phone from his New York apartment. Third-year student at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts,the 26-year-old shot the film as part of his second-year project submission to the University. Shot within five days in the Harlem,with a self-financed budget of 8,000 dollars,the movie revolves around the protagonist Raju,who is an Indian immigrant working for a debt-relief firm and convinces debt strapped individuals to sign away their home in return for money. While he does this in pursuit of an American visa,he faces a clash of conscience after falling in love with one of his clients — forcing him to choose between citizenship and a job.

“I was fascinated by the brotherhood within the immigrant community. After a point,this bonhomie disappears and it is about the survival of the fittest,” rues Bajpai,whose film has also been invited to the American Asian Film Festival,San Francisco,in March.

And even as he does the rounds of the festive circuit,the filmmaker is ready to embark on his next project — a full-length feature film that will be shot in Rajasthan,later this year.