Pankh

Pankh was created during a hands-on fiction filmmaking workshop mentored by documentary filmmaker and educator Priya Ramasubban at the National Institute of Design. Rather than a standalone festival piece, it was a student module focused on learning the grammar of scripted fiction: staging multi-character interactions, working with non-professional talent, and executing camera setups in real domestic environments.

The narrative contrasts two domestic spaces: the quiet, book-lined home where the young protagonist’s mother works, and the warmth of their own quarters.

Serving as both DOP and colourist, the primary challenge was managing lighting and shot continuity across distinct interior and exterior setups:

• Available Light & Practical Fill: Day interiors in the study balanced bright sunlight coming through window curtains against deep wooden cabinetry, using bounced daylight and subtle fills to keep skin tones readable.
• Exterior Contrast: Bright garden lawn sequences were framed with natural midday light, letting foreground greenery frame the young girl’s movement.
• Night Firelight & Colour Grade: The evening scenes were lit using the warm, flicker-rich glow of an open fire. In DaVinci Resolve, the grade maintained a restrained, natural look—preserving authentic skin tones and the grounded atmosphere of each location.