Reels Of Empowerment

From a student who directed her first music video taking over a month to a seasoned professional who shot five short films in three days, Sonia Bajaj has come a long way and evolved not only as a visionary director but also as a creative storyteller. Her movies cover a range of subjects, from serial dating to zombie surprises. 

Bajaj has directed and produced over ten short films. They have won nominations and awards at prestigious film festivals, such as Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, World-Fest Houston International Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival, Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival and many more. Her mantra for success remains the same – to keep pushing forward and inspire her viewers with strong characters and plotlines. 

Her own experiences fuel her admiration for women-oriented stories as a woman of colour in the United States. On being asked about what inspires her to pursue a career in filmmaking, Bajaj says, “Fewer opportunities for female storytellers and issues such as unequal pay and cultural-racial underrepresentation is what inspires me to tackle such themes. For some, ‘women empowerment’ stops at being just a phrase. As a filmmaker from a predominantly patriarchal setup, it’s my passion to showcase what an empowered woman can do. How she can empower the society as a whole.”

One such story is her short film Rose, which Bajaj is now developing into a full-length feature film. The narrative depicts the story of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship and how she empowers herself. Bajaj will be directing and producing the full-length feature in collaboration with Craig Miller Productions based in Atlanta, Georgia. “Rose is a tale close to my heart. In Rose, I see a woman of substance and strength who has many odds against her, including her own emotions,” says Bajaj. 

A self-made woman who took the big leap, Bajaj continues to ace the film festival circuits globally, making her country and loved ones proud, narrating stories close to her heart.  “With every story I write, I aim to strike a chord with my viewers, appeal to different sensibilities and emotions. After all, cinema is an art, a mode of expression. It’s a conversation between the storyteller and the viewer,” says Bajaj.

 As her first full-length feature film ‘Black Rose’ takes to the shooting floor in the coming months, she shares, “My goal to film all over the world and offer women and underrepresented communities a platform to share their stories. This is what inspires me the most, as a creator.”