At our first meeting, Shailendra Singh comes across as someone who doesn't mince words and likes to live life king size. But this Bollywood producer, who has backed movies including Dor and Firaaq, has much more to him - he's also passionate about filmmaking and nurtures the dream of introducing new talent. He wants to create a parallel industry, where newcomers without filmi connections, too, can get a chance. As he makes his directorial debut with Sunshine Music Tours and Travels (SMTT), a youth-centric road trip film that he has also written, he tells BT why launching 170 newcomers in the movie, though a calculated risk, will pay off.

After being a producer for so long, what prompted you to become a writer and director?
I have produced 74 movies, some of which have won National Awards. During this journey, I realised that Bollywood is a fortress and there are a few hundred people inside. But there are crores of strugglers outside its walls, who are also waiting for a chance. Filmmakers like Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap are already launching new talent in the industry. So, I decided to target people who are not a part of this fortress and become a voice for them. Even in my first film, Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999), I gave the industry almost 170 debutantes. This included Vishal-Shekhar, Shaan and Dino Morea amongst others. Apart from introducing new talent, I also wanted to challenge myself. I've been a storyteller and a creative person all my life. I can narrate ten screenplays to you within a few minutes. I wake up at five in the morning and write the whole day. I have the gift of the gab. When I took up the challenge of directing this film, everyone told me I was crazy. I can make money doing other things, but I find this more thrilling. Money means nothing to me.

Don't you think it's a gamble to work with so many newcomers?
It's more of a calculated risk. My cast has worked for free. I don't pay people, I give them a break. My funda is clear - I tell my actors to give it their all, and I give them a platform. Also, these newcomers are hungry to prove themselves. They don't have any baggage and are ready to do whatever it takes. While shooting with a bunch of newcomers, there is always a lot of improvisation, but that's exactly what travel film needs.

For instance, we were shooting portions of the film during our EDM (electronic dance music) festival in Goa. Since it was hectic, I shot the main scenes myself, put out six camera units and asked my assistant directors to supervise the other sequences. I would explain the scene to them, and send a team to shoot. All my assistant directors are in their early 20s. Imagine how good they felt about taking decisions. If they made a mistake, I would tell them to reshoot and they would do it willingly. If I had hired experienced technicians, they would have refused to do it.

Are you afraid of being criticised?
In 2007, when I started my music festival Sunburn, my brother, who is also my partner, didn't attend it. He thought it's just another hobby, because I like music. Today, it's one of Asia's biggest music festivals and has become a business. I follow a simple logic - I don't react, I only act. I am a steady player. I like challenges. I think constructive criticism is phenomenal and inspiring for people like me because I believe business is a sport, which I play everyday. At the end of the day, I don't care if I've lost or won. I just want to give 100 per cent to everything I do and want to have a blast doing it.

You've backed films with bold and hard-hitting subjects. What made you choose a youth-centric script for your directorial debut?
I work hard at doing things that are out of the box. I have done that with my earlier movies, be it Hanuman the animation film, Makdee or even get ting Pakistani films like Khuda Kay Liye to India. My job is to challenge the system. Also, I am a creative person. Once I write the script, it seeps into my soul. I know every dialogue and scene of my film by heart. I want to create a versatile environment on set and make every actor understand their character and the scene. I don't give them the script or dialogues. I ask them what they would do in a particular situation. And the results are phenomenal.

Since you're musically inclined, what has been your contribution to the film's soundtrack?
We have worked very hard on it. The songs are circumstantial and they are only there to enhance the screenplay. There are no item numbers. I think this is the first Bollywood film, which has a background score with 14 tracks that we have purchased. These are songs made over two years; they weren't made for the film. My philosophy of filmmaking is that you don't just watch the film, you also absorb and feel the background sound and music of the movie.

Which Bollywood films were you inspired by while making SMTT?
All travel movies, right from Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara to Chef and Bombay To Goa. I love the universe of slice-of-life films. I'm a hard-core movie buff and watch every film. On most days you will find me at 8.45 in the morning at a theatre. I don't judge cinema; I consume it as an experience.

Do you have any plans of directing any more films?
Yes. I have decided to direct five films a year. This is my calling.