Composer Shantanu Moitra has added another feather to his hat by turning filmmaker. He has directed and produced an upcoming docu series on YouTube, which features a six-part, sit-down conversation with singer Kaushiki Chakraborty.

Sharing why he decided to turn director, the 57-year-old says, “I wanted to become an entrepreneur and a storyteller. I wanted to break this whole pattern of someone calling to offer me a work opportunity. That made my brain start ticking and I thought I wanted to try something else.”

Titled Pankh, his maiden directorial outing is music driven, as it’s a live autobiography and album on Kaushiki’s life. “Over the years, there have been lots of stories that I wanted to share with the world. And what better vocalist to voice that feeling of mine than Kaushiki Chakraborty. I believe if you’re really passionate about anything, then you are the best person to execute it. That is why I took this leap of faith and got into direction,” says Shantanu.

As someone navigating music and filmmaking now, the musician accepts that there’s a lot of commonality and differences between the two crafts. “Before I compose a song, I have a gifted power to hear the track in my head, which includes the songs I’ve composed for Parineeta (2005) or 3 Idiots (2009). That’s something I experienced as a director too. I could see it and had a clear vision before I started directing it. That’s the commonality,” he says.

He adds that the greatest difference between the two crafts is the turnaround time. “As a composer, the turnaround time from the moment I hear a song in my head to execution is less, as I record it immediately after calling the right people. However, in case of a film, there are many departments and people you’re dependent on. Hence, the gestation period from when I think of an idea to when it finally manifests is huge,” says Shantanu, who is a “huge fan” of filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Werner Herzog and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. “Ray’s love for black and white, and his vision for imagery is something that I have used in Pankh,” he ends.