NYFA Alum Jeet Desai Brings His Skills to Bollywood Productions

NYFA Alum Jeet Desai graduated from the MFA Filmmaking program at the NYFA LA campus. Since graduating, Jeet has honed his skills by working on several Bollywood films with top production companies, including Maddock Films, one of India's leading studios behind some of the country's highest-grossing films. Jeet spoke to us about his filmmaking journey to NYFA and the experience working as a Director's Assistant.

NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?

In 2013, after completing my 12th grade, my dad asked me what I wanted to pursue as a career. Up until that point, I had only thought about sports management. He then asked me, "How about filmmaking?" and planted the idea in my mind. That’s when I started researching the art of filmmaking, watching videos, and attending seminars. My love for watching films quickly transformed into a passion for making them, and I realized that filmmaking could be something I could pursue as a career.

To gain experience, I worked on three regional films as an Assistant Director. However, I soon realized that I needed formal education to better understand the craft and techniques. After doing some research, the NYFA MFA Filmmaking program stood out to me among other film schools, as it seemed much more hands-on and exciting. I said to myself: "What could be a better place to learn filmmaking than the center of the film industry, Los Angeles ?"

NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating?

 J.D: Since graduating, I have worked on four Bollywood films with renowned production houses and studios in India. I closely collaborated on the prep and release of the feature films Skyforce, Munjya, and Pooja Meri Jaan with Maddock Films, one of India's leading production houses and the banner behind the highest-grossing films in the country. Currently, I am working with the same production house as an Associate Director / DA on a feature film directed by Sriram Raghavan.

I also worked with JA Entertainment (Tara vs Bilal), a film production company owned by one of the leading actors in the Indian film industry, John Abraham. Additionally, I worked with the popular Indian digital platforms Dice Media and Filter Copy on a project called Adulting Season 3.

NYFA Alumni Network: Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions?

J.D: My short film Beyond Seven Heavens has been a semifinalist and has received numerous festival selections, including the Los Angeles International Film Festival, Pune International Short Film Festival, LA Cine Fest, FantaSci Short Film Festival, and the LA Film and Screenplay Festival, just to name a few.

NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your work on the film Skyforce. How did you get involved in the project?

J.D: My latest project was the feature film Skyforce, directed by Abhishek Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, where I worked as a Director’s Assistant. The film was produced by the leading Indian director Amar Kaushik and producer Dinesh Vijan. It is an aerial action drama based on a true story and stars one of the biggest actors in the Indian film industry, Akshay Kumar. Kumar has been in the industry for 30-35 years and has acted in over 150 films as a lead actor.

I was involved in Skyforce from the scripting stage to the delivery of the film, overseeing the entire project in the capacity of a Director's Assistant. I also had a major role in the creative process of the film.

NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others?

J.D: Firstly, I would credit my directors and producers for giving me the freedom to express myself creatively and for allowing me to help them bring their vision to life on screen.

The film, being heavily reliant on VFX and action, required a deep understanding of the filmmaking process, particularly in terms of techniques and safety. It also demanded extensive pre-visualization through storyboards.

My experience directing three short films during my time at NYFA gave me the conviction and confidence to understand the visuals and shot breakdown that the directors and the DOP were aiming for.

Additionally, my knowledge of editing—a skill I acquired at NYFA—helped me discuss scene coverage with the directors during the shoot, ensuring that the footage would be edited in a way that enhanced storytelling and brought out the best emotions.

These are just a few examples. Beyond that, my understanding of screenplay structure and sound design, gained at NYFA, was invaluable in providing creative input throughout the process.

In addition to my formal education, the on-set experience I gained at NYFA as a 1st AD on over 60-70 student projects was priceless. I learned a great deal from all the student directors and their unique approaches to filmmaking.

NYFA Alumni Network: How does the Bollywood film industry differ from the industry here?

J.D: We identify as an Indian Film Industry as a whole. We have 29 states and 22 official languages in India and every language has a fully developed regional film industry. The Bollywood film industry is associated with the Hindi language films and is the most popular one in India and around the world. 

One of main differences that separates Hollywood from Indian film industry is that the Indian film industry is more actor driven industry, while Hollywood is more director driven. This changes the way we look at cinema and our approach towards making films. 

Another difference is that the Indie culture in India is not as big as in the West. Our films are mostly considered marketable if they're backed by a production house or a studio. And 9 out of 10 times a project with a big actor will have some studio backing the project. I cannot remember an instance otherwise. Most big actors also have their own production house so their films are produced by themselves. 

Other than that there are few roles, positions and job descriptions which are a bit different here in India than what I had experienced in Hollywood. 

NYFA Alumni Network: Are you working on any future projects?

J.D: Yes, I am working on a project called as Ikkis - It is from the same production house Maddock Films. We are on the verge of ending our shooting schedules, It's in a post production phase. And it should be in theatres by the end of this year. 

NYFA Alumni Network congratulates Jeet on all his success!