iWorld
Pulling back the curtain on cell phone cinema
Los Angeles: Director, writer, and producer, Vineesha Arora-Sarin mixed together unusual but effective ingredients combining a family vacation, an epiphany, her iPhone, and adding a generous portion of talent to produce her debut feature “Between Mountains,” a visually whimsical but sobering thematic drama about loss, guilt, and mental health.
Arora-Sarin grew up in New York balancing her western upbringing with her cultural Indian roots. She traveled to India post-college to reevaluate her life and reconnect with family and ended up enrolling in a drama class. It was there she was set up on a blind date with her future husband, a young, talented drama student and future Bollywood star, Amit Sarin. In 2003, Arora-Sarin made her acting debut in the film “Supari” just as Sarin began landing television roles. It turned out to be a pivotal year as she later traveled to New York where she met her idol, Al Pacino after his Broadway show. Her meeting with Pacino added clarity and inspired a shift in focus to pursue writing. Upon her return to India, Arora-Sarin began honing her skills in writing, as well as acting. In 2009, she started a production company along with her husband producing short films and media advertising, as well as organising Bollywood events.
In 2018, after lining up projects in Los Angeles, Arora-Sarin and Sarin decided to make the leap from Bollywood to Hollywood. Early in 2020, just as their creative ventures were moving forward, the Covid-19 virus began its deadly march shutting down productions in Bollywood, Hollywood, and around the world.
“My main mantra of life is to keep moving forward, keep creating, keep inspired. My mantra became my savior during this time. I kept an open mind and kept thinking about how do we turn this around into something positive,” Arora-Sarin stated.
With the Covid-19 pandemic raging, their projects side-lined, and with their two children off from school, the couple decided to take a family road trip through the natural beauty and tranquility of national parks from California to Colorado and through Utah. A close family friend and Sarin’s onetime co-star Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide earlier that month and his sudden and tragic death was weighing heavy on them. Early one morning while on the trip, Arora-Sarin woke up with an epiphany, an idea about the effects experienced by people from a sudden loss and the mystic power of nature to heal.
She brought out her iPhone and with no script in hand, started to shoot with her basic concept and the surrounding nature serving as her inspirations. With “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin became the first female director, writer, and producer to make a film entirely on an iPhone.
“I had an iPhone in my pocket and I thought to myself, ‘What’s stopping me?’ That’s the beauty and convenience of cell phone cinema. You just need a little knowledge in terms of how to take your shot and you need a compelling story,” Arora-Sarin said.
“Between Mountains” stars Arora-Sarin’s husband, Amit Sarin, and tells the story of a recently widowed father who reaches his breaking point after also losing his young son to an untimely sudden death. Overcome with sadness he sets out on the road with the intent of ending his life.
His journey takes audiences on a progressive journey of self-discovery, enlightenment, and acceptance. The film features a haunting soundtrack, written and performed by Nashville musician Scott Turek, which helped create the mood of the film.
Arora-Sarin’s advice to aspiring filmmakers: “If you have a burning desire and passion to tell a story, you don’t need to wait. Find a way to tell that story,” she stated.
“Between Mountains” wooed the audience at its world premiere in Los Angeles in August with its raw story and visual beauty. In addition, attendees were later astounded to learn the film was shot entirely on an iPhone. It won Best Narrative Feature with Amit Sarin taking home the Best Actor prize at the AFI Karl Bardosh Cell Phone Cinema Humanitarian Awards which take place during the Cannes Film Festival. In addition, the song, World on Fire featured in the film was released in a separate music video and won the Best Music Video award.
With her innovative work in “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin is inspiring a new way of thinking and approach to filmmaking. The use of cell phone technology expands possibilities to creative filmmakers for their stories to be told. She is set to start work on her second feature, Deathbed, to be shot on an iPhone, as well. In addition, Arora-Sarin is working on a crime drama web series “End of Karma” and along with her husband, Sarin is producing “Tiger Heart,” an anti-poaching feature on tigers.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
