RAJULA SHAH
born, 25th July 1974
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Rajula is a Poet who draws, photographs, collage-s, tells stories, directs films and coaches young filmmakers.
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She is a painting dropout of Fine Arts Faculty Baroda. After which she studied Sanskrit Language, English Literature and History for her Bachelors, took a Masters in English Literature, and studied cinema at FTII, Pune, majoring in Film Direction. She taught at the alma mater from 2011-2014 and continues to coach film students as guest faculty across Film & Media schools.
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Her work is located in the interstice of Poetry, Story, Cinema, Philosophy, Music, Art. Oral-Aural cultures are at the heart of her study/ praxis. With a keen interest in the indigenous knowledge systems, its practitioners and the changing practices thereof, her practice winds through a close collaboration with people, their histories and changing environments.
Her films screen widely in festivals, museums and across Academic/ Art contexts.
Among significant awards are the Horizonte Preis at Dokfest Munich Germany for Word within the word, 2008
Signs jury award for Beyond the wheel 2005
John Abraham National Award twice for the Best Experimental film for Katha Loknath/ ReTold by Loknath, 2013
& for short fiction Aisa Nahin Hua tha Tahera/ Jumbled Cans in 2014.
Her recent film At Home Walking has been awarded the Best Long Documentary prize at IDSFFK, Trivendrum 2021. It was an entry in Academy Awards same year.
Her poetry collection in Hindi Parchhain ki Khirki se has been awarded by Bharatiya Gyanpeeth NAVLEKHAN PURASKAR/ for Best New Writing in 2004; Among her translations, Ela Bhatt’s We are poor but so many, selected letters of Vincent Van Gogh Mujh par Bharosa Rakhna and Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad’s Hindi renderings are prominent. A short story collection Adhkhuli Ankh ka Sapna has come out in 2021. At present working on the book Being Director alongside translating into Hindi Khalil Gibran & Mary Haskell’s love letters.
She created New courses for FTII's Outreach Programme like Film Appreciation, Film Appreciation for Drama students, Alocana/ Film Criticism & Being Director. And has been on various juries including the PIFF, IDSFFK National Film Awards.
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She is based in Bhopal and is glad to be working as the Founder Director of NOMADS –Center for Un/Learning in Cinema & Aligned Art Practices. Its a Not for Profit Trust with a colourful board of trustees, committed to create a climate of Creative Thinking & Practice by building bridges between the past and the future.
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