The experience of living life with just being ‘fine’ might not be a life lived with passion. Rather, a life embraced with arms wide open, grabbing every opportunity coming your way could be the one. That is how life is perceived by Raka Noshin Nower, Director, Applebox Films.
Raka’s first encounter with this industry was in 2011, trying to help her best friend with a project, who at that time was working at Apple Box Films. Being a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, she took that opportunity to explore her horizons. Her introductory work with Applebox Films that year was as the assistant of the Casting Director. Always dreaming to become a professor, never before this she thought of working in the creative industry.
Only after working for a while at Applebox Films, she realized her passion for video production and film making. Thus, in no time Apple Box became both her home and educational institution. A platform that fueled her newly realized passion, helped her thrive and grow.
However, Raka recalls that teaching had been in her blood and becoming an educationalist was still her true dream. So, the question was where did the ends of her passion and dream meet?
‘Shift’ was the answer to that. Brain child of Piplu R. Khan, Founder of Applebox Films, Shift is a platform where young gospellers of the creative industry are taught the art of video and film making through mentorship. Raka has been a curator and mentor for Shift since the inception of her journey with Applebox Films.
When we see a video that grabs our attention, very seldom do we recognize the long backward linkage to it. Script writing, casting, shooting, editing and the list goes on. During her career, some way or another, Raka has been involved in all of those roles. But when she was asked to pick her favorite amongst the pool, she acknowledged editing as her most favorite one. For her, catering to on-demand request from loved ones for editing videos is the ultimate recognition that truly gave her the fulfillment of living her passion.
How Raka’s beliefs are different from others in the industry is that she doesn’t see her colleagues or acquaintance working in the same sphere as her competitor. She states that in the creative world where you are producing art, the number of advertisements or films you make shouldn’t be a measure of success. Neither should one director’s production work be compared with another. Because at the end every individual is recreating in the silver screen the characters they observe through their own perception. Raka believes only through mutual respect and love, every individual working in this sphere can make this industry grow.
Raka advises that one should understand their surroundings and situations and learn from it rather than judge. By being open-minded, one gets to learn more and experience more. At the end we should see things from all angles and thrive to find beauty in different things. She states that when you keep an open mind, your inspiration gets fueled by your curiosity and your creativity gets driven by desire. This is the philosophy that made her fall in love with the world of production — 7 years later here she is, at the top of her game working as Director, leading her own team. When asked about her future plans, she says that she wants to make her own film someday but she is in no rush for it.
However, we all believe in living a life full of passion, a life where we will never feel bored, stagnant, or stuck, a life where we are constantly excited and inspired. Raka believes she is privileged to able to live such a life through her work.
Written by Mehtaj Reza
A freelance writer, studying at North South University
