Sharad Navle is the leading corporate film maker in Pune and the pioneer of CD authoring in India. Poonabest.com caught up with him for a chat.

How did you get into filmmaking?
I graduated from the FTII and started my career with a documentary film for the Government of Maharashtra in 1975. I have been the director of photography for a couple of films and have also photographed a few Marathi films like Sarvasaakshi, starring the late Smita Patil, and has produced innumerable corporate films.

What are the major projects that you have handled?
To name a few, I was involved in the production of the first Indian-made commercial CD, titled 'Goa'. I conceived the original title, co-ordinated the screen design, the interface design, the interactivity and the photography. I was also involved in the production of "Yoga", which was produced for Kirloskar Computer Services (KCS). I worked for The Great Mughals wherein a comprehensive study was made of all the Mughal monuments, with special importance given to the Taj Mahal.

Can you name a few of your collegues in the FTII?
The list is really long, but to name a few big ones -- Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Aazmi, Om Puri, Satish Shah, Ketan Mehta, and Kundan Shah.

You said that you are the pioneer in CD authoring in India. How and when did you decide to start CD authoring in India?
In 1992, I had gone to Germany for an exhibition, where I came across the concept of Compact Disc (CD) and I really liked it. It was then I decided to do the CD business in India.

What was the response?
It was a Herculean task to make people understand the concept of CD authoring. The biggest obstacle was the cost of CD ROM drives and its availability. The cost of the hardware then was mind-boggling and only a few could afford or say possess it.

What is the general scenario of the business today ?
More and more people are getting aware of computers. The cost of the hardware has really reduced and the CD drives have become a vital part of every computer configuration. The computers and CD drives are more easily accessable to a larger number of people.

What made you stay in Pune and continue the business here?
The lifestyle and weather of Pune made me continue with the business here.

What are your hobbies?
I like music, traveling and reading. I love to listen to both instrumental as well as classical music, and read non-fiction books.

- Prasad Hiranwar