Private Project

My Dream is...

This is a short documentary about the power of education, the accessibility of safe nurturing environments to little girls and how these spaces and opportunities shape their dreams in a society where many drop out by the 10th grade.
It’s a film that comes alive in the voices of two 17-year-olds at a decisive moment in life.
Khushbu, a craft teacher who dreams of working in a bank and Khushi a student volunteer, who plans to become a paediatrician, is slowly transforming into something more.
They cross paths at an NGO called Manav Sadhna based out of the Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad, Gujarat. We join them as they learn new skills all the while learning about each other.

  • Riya Hayaran
    Director
  • Riya Hayaran
    Editor
  • Ankita Srivastava
    Cinematographer
  • Jayasri Sridhar
    Sound Recordist
  • Aanchal Chaturvedi
    Sound Recordist
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Maaru Swapna Chhe...
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 20, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    96 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English, Gujarati, Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India
Director Biography - Riya Hayaran

Riya Hayaran is a writer, director and editor born and brought up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. She makes films to understand the world around her better. Her subjects span from education, nature, music, mental health and more, connecting lateral dots as she goes.
She is pursuing her Master of Design in Film and Video Communication from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She spends her days studying colour, light and people. Her foundation in science and fine arts mixed with learnings from apparel design in her under-graduation from NIFT with work experience in advertising lend her a unique perspective as a filmmaker. She thrives in collaborative environments and wishes to absorb learnings from all around her. Her interests lie in understanding the human psyche and finding new insights about life through each of her projects.

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Director Statement

Maaru Swapna Chhe is the project that allowed me to realise my gift for making people feel comfortable and capturing unadulterated moments. The subject is significant to me as a woman from a small town, having faced diverse obstacles in my own education and career. The strength shown by the characters of this film helped me find my own voice and led to vast learnings. It's a small yet relevant film for today's girls and women growing up in challenging environments.