Renisha Rai, a choreographer turned director, is currently working on her debut movie ‘Into Minto London Ma’. The movie is slated to release by the end of 2017, and features prominent stars like Samragee Rajyaa Laxmi Shah and Dhiraj Magar. Following are excerpts of what Renisha told Shuvechchha Ghimire of My City.

What unique personality trait do you possess that makes you different from other choreographers or directors?
I am a perfectionist. I make no compromises in my work. Be it the production value or the cast I chose to work with, I am in the industry to give quality products.

What were few turning points in your professional life?
A definite turning point in my life was choreographing music videos in ‘Mero Euta Saathi Cha’. It was my first big choreography project that demanded me to work on my dancing styles.

Also, I received six awards in 2016 for my choreography in ‘Prem Geet’. This kind of national level appreciation helped boost my confidence as an artiste. I feel like the awards also entrusted me a responsibility that I have to work harder than ever before and give something new to my audiences.

Another definite turning point is now when I have decided to direct ‘Into Minto London Ma’. I worked on the movie’s story and script for more than six months, before finally presenting it to my current team.

What prompted you to switch from being choreographer to a director?
While choreographing dances for movies, I used to be invested in making good quality music videos. There was a reason why I was considered an ‘expensive choreographer’- I made no compromises and results always mattered to me. No matter how hard I worked, it was soon apparent to me that the actual movies were of lesser quality than music videos I directed. I didn’t want to trick audiences into watching movies by producing better quality music videos, which gradually prompted me to become a director myself.

Why did you choose romantic genre for your debut movie as a director?
Romantic genre is all about selling drama and fantasies to audience. It is also about recognizing that love stories are universal, and the process of falling and retreat is something everyone relates to.  If one were to closely analyze the content preference among Nepali audiences, they seem to want more of the romantic comedy genre, which is why I decided to work on a love story.

Do you have any suggestions to aspiring professional dancers and choreographers?
To aspire to be a prominent dancer and choreographer is being willing to take the long shot. The career span for professional dancers and choreographers is comparatively longer than any other in the entertainment industry. Give your best at small initial projects. Focus extensively on being more than a mediocre before expecting production houses to come along. Also, it helps if you understand the distinction between personal and professional relationships.