Life! Camera Action...

After hearing so much about this movie & how many awards they've won, I finally watched LCA when it got released on Facebook! Loved how the director, Rohit Gupta, combined passion, creativity, family values and emotions to create LCA. It inspires everyone to follow their passion at any cost. All of us, at some point in our lives, feel defeated/discouraged about our passion & we just go with the flow & have regrets later on. But, watching Reina (Dipti Mehta) following her dream, her love for film making against her traditional parents' wish (Subodh Batra & Prabha Batra) and her motivation to prove herself to her parents is something that touches everyone at some level! Every actor played their part very well. The music was great esp the song "Chalte Jaana Hai" by the famous bollywood singer KK. LCA & its crew truly deserve all the awards they've won for their work. Did you know this is the first movie ever to be released on fb?! Never heard of it before, but thought it was really cool! I'm sure we'll start seeing more people doing this now! Rohit - we can't wait to see more of your movies!! LCA deserves 10/10! All the best to LCA's crew! :)

Life! Camera Action… is a very thoughtful and exquisitely executed film about a young and very bright woman, Reina, encountering the heavy side of life for the first time, and the choices she makes. LCA made me fantasize during the movie that my yearning searching and connecting with my parents were like Reina. I knew where Reina was coming from as she longed for her parents approval.

This movie is certainly thought provoking and towards the end of the movie, I started to cry like a baby. My favorite scene is Reina's birthday celebration scene at Village Restaurant. If you're looking for a film that is uplifting and refreshing in its mannerism and theme, 'Life! Camera Action' is for you. It is definitely not a movie to use as a venue to escape life for a few hours, but it is a movie that will certainly makes you take a second and third look at who you are within yourself. The film ends beautifully. Have fun watching.

I am not a big foreign film aficionado, not by a long shot, but I enjoyed the movie, and being a teacher, Professor's opening scene the most. I always love to watch cinema that challenges the viewer on some level and makes us think. The main point of the story is very interesting. I'm not a heartless person, but it takes a lot to make me cry when I watch a movie. But seriously - I bawled on several occasions in this film. Ending is a real tear-jerker. . The theme is definitely universal (across any cultures) and songs are quite catchy despite being in Hindi language (I appreciated the subtitles). Based on how it's made, guaranteed it would leave you wondering how the film achieved its goal.

At first, neither the trailer nor any reviews drove me in to watching this movie. I saw it by accident on Amazon and the editorial review caught my attention. After few clicks I was flabbergasted to find out the real synopsis. 1) Started as a film school assignment to make a 10-minute short film 2) Converted to a feature length with no experience, resources, crew 3) No complete script for the film 4) Shot with a basic camera by only two member crew 5) Listed as One of the 10 Outstanding Movies made my Indian American Filmmakers along with Iconic films like Sixth Sense, Unbreakable 6) First movie shot with a 2 member crew by an Indian Filmmaker who was learning to put a film together on his own? 7) Won numerous awards and world wide acclaim. Did I miss anything? It's unbelievable. Panaromal Activity, Blair Witch Project and few other movies are known for being made under such circumstances, but never heard of anything like this!! Have you?? At this point this was it for me to get the DVD.

For a first time filmmaker, this is a phenomenal achievement. This movie should be a case study in film schools. I have added this film to my student's library ☺. Any aspiring filmmaker or a film student who has not watched this movie has not witnessed magic/brilliance/greatness of making a film with minimal resources or as they say: made in a shoe string budget and to instantly connect with the whole world. It's no surprise that the theme has connected with many nations bringing the film well deserving stupendous success. Very Inspiring. Love it! Congratulations.

Not used to watching movies without a known name so did not have any expectations at first, but surprisingly something kept me drawing in to the film from start to last frame. (Insider tip: don't leave until the last frame :). I found the film not only watchable but also compelling. It is a great film for many reasons.

Life! Camera Action... is two movies in one. Amazing story and moving meaning. Although the film is perhaps a little slow in fully developing, the consequent results are astounding. At times, I felt that the pace is slow but that's how a real drama is. It's a very smartly done movie. Unknown cast (that allows us to immerse in the story), real locations, real feel just as it happens in real life. Nothing flashy or dream sequences that leave us with just dreams never to come true in reality. Some times the music is overboard but that did not disconnect me from the entire movie. I couldn't help but care about Reina (Dipti Mehta), Mike (Shaheed Woods), Parents and desire to find out what happens to them.

Uncle at the restaurant (Noor Naghmi) is a look alike of a Bollywood iconic actor Navin Nischol. For a minute I was puzzled at his resemblance. His scenes are awesome. Great chemistry between him and Reina. Love Reina's birthday and audition scene. Camera is shaky at few places that made couple scenes distracting but just like music, this doesn't do much damage to the entire picture. In fact it added to the tension, so to say. DVD store scenes are hilarious. Actors are totally unassuming. The final scene (superb performance by Dipti Mehta) took me completely by surprise. Totally unpredictable and touching!. There are two songs and both are beautiful and heavenly. Feet-tapping music. Theme song "Hain Yeh Kaisa Safar" is everyone's safar (journey) in someway I would say.

I loved the opening school scene especially the definition of filmmaking. "We get to learn how to make people like you sit in a dark room for two hours and watch all the sxxx that's running in our heads, and above all, we make you pay for it. Fortunately we never get to see the sxxx running in your head". Wow. well said. Love it.

Another favorite: "To be born with a personality is an inherent gift from our parents, but to live as a personality is an achievement of our own and a return gift to our parents". Very well said. This movie also reminds us of our basics: Our source: Our Parents (very reason for our being). They are usually seen as interference in our careers not realizing that they are the only two who unconditionally loves us and are our well-wishers. This movies embarks on such a journey and connects all dots along the way.

Life! Camera Action...is about following your heart calling. We all hear our callings but seldom follow them. This film shows that nothing is impossible. The theme is so universal and so very appealing; that I can assure it will stay with you long long after the movie is over. And for some like me, I think it'll stay forever.

LCA is one of those films that is bound to give you a perspective on your own life.

Reina (Dipti Mehta) is very passionate and committed. She wants nothing more than to follow her dream of filmmaking but her parents like many others are against this career choice and they would never approve of her chasing her dream as they want her to settle down with regular careers like a doctor, engineer or an architect. Story sounds familiar? That's exactly what this movie is.

It is a story I can relate to. Well, In fact I think anyone would be able to relate to. As a film student I watch a lot of movies. I saw a promo somewhere and right off it caught my attention. First look at the trailer felt this would be a movie for a different culture, but the theme kind of interested me. I could hardly understand anything from the trailer which had no sub titles, in spite my instincts proved me right, funny!

Life! Camera Action is a feel good movie that doesn't need to be complex, it's just fine as it is. The casts are all very good and they play their roles very well. My favorite character is Mike, hands down. Love both songs. I am a Korean-American so Indian language was tough but voilà sub titles helped. The story is simple but unpredictable at many key points. Ending is a classic. It works perfectly and the script is very realistic.

I saw this director's 4-minute movie Another Day Another Life on YouTube and was left ecstatic about the engaging visuals and storyline just like Life! Camera Action, made in such a small or (as they say in the industry) no budget. The tag line Even Impossible says I'm possible should be the director's company's tag line :). I couldn't believe for the way these movies were made!!

I can't recommend it enough. I am thrilled to add this DVD to my collection of 7. I am charged up to make my feature film. This movie has inspired me.

They deserve all the awards won! Congratulations to all. A great family movie too. I give it 10/10.

Tip: Don't leave until the last credit