South Asian filmmakers ‘have so many stories to tell’

“I used to steal money from my parents, buy films, keep them under my bed and hide them away – films were very much my thing from day dot.”

Amar Singh Sethi’s directorial debut has played at dozens of film festivals across the world, including the Short Film Corner at Cannes.

Bus Driver examines unconscious bias in its tale of a man caught in the middle of a terrorist stand-off on a London bus.

Sethi told the BBC’s Rena Annobil there was a “lot of room” to explore themes in a variety of genres when telling stories about South Asians.

He wrote and directed Bus Driver, and worked alongside Berkshire-based filmmakers including associate producers Dr Parvinder Shergill and Andrew St Maur, and music composer Ardie Son, to bring it to fruition.

Previously Sethi, 39, from Northwood, helmed music videos for his band, studied method acting, went to the National Film and Television School, and edited TV programmes.

“I guess I’ve accumulated a few skillsets which is useful for a film director,” he says.

The notion of Bus Driver came to Sethi as he thought about the repercussions on British Asians following terrorist attacks in London.

“We were perceived a little differently,” he explains.

“With these occurrences in the world we do have some sort of prejudice, and it was just asking that question deep down.

“That’s what sparked me to put a situation on a bus whereby you the viewer are looking at these people, and you’re trying to figure out what’s happened.”

Making the short film was strenuous, but worth it, he recalls.

“You’re in a bus first of all, and it was the hottest day of that year.

“Then you had 20 people on that bus, plus extras, so that was difficult.”

Sethi says watching Indian films “played a big part” in his younger days, citing the acting of Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.

Though he also remembers the first time he saw The Godfather, which he calls a “phenomenal piece of filmmaking”.

“It was about the Italians in New York, and I always felt with the immigration that happens in this country, we’ve got so many stories to tell about South Asians and we haven’t explored that just yet,” he says.

“There’s so many other genres and ideas we can play with and showcase to the world.”

Sethi’s second short film Sweaty Hands is now showing at festivals, and he is currently putting the finishing touches to his third.

He also recently finished the first draft of the script for his first feature film.

“I’m going a little underground with our South Asian community in terms of the elements of greed, prostitution, and immigration,” he teases.

“Really dark areas, some truths that I want to just pull out. I might get slapped on the wrist for it.”

In the meantime the director has advice for any budding filmmakers who may want to follow in his footsteps.

“It’s really about finding the network around you, the right people,” he suggests.

“Get rid of the naysayers and get it off the ground. You’ve got to be really pragmatic about picking up a camera or starting work on a film.”

Bus Driver is available on Apple TV and Prime.