Manthan, an MBBS graduate, discovered his true passion in the realm of storytelling and filmmaking, where he now channels his creativity and storytelling abilities to craft captivating narratives.

Manthan Kanani is a self-taught writer, director, and filmmaker who transitioned from being an MBBS student to making a career in the film industry.

Manthan had pursued his MBBS at the Government Medical College, Bhavnagar.

Reflecting on his journey, Manthan reveals that during his third year of MBBS, a strong inclination towards storytelling and filmmaking began to emerge within him. Identifying his true calling, he embarked on a path of writing and the production of his first film, which he shot on his mother. Having limited knowledge of dialogue construction at the time, he opted to make a silent film, which he shared within his college fraternity and received appreciative feedback. From that point on, Manthan embraced his passion wholeheartedly, crafting numerous short stories without the knowledge of his parents as he continued to pursue his creative aspirations.

Manthan shares that his film ‘Ageless’ received 16 international awards, after which he gathered the courage to inform his parents that he wishes to pursue filmmaking. Thereafter, he moved to Ahmedabad to pursue his internship and worked in advertisements and music videos for two years. Some time later, he got an opportunity to work as an Assistant Director for the film ‘Ventilator.’ Since then, Manthan has not looked back, and his film journey continued with an offer from Maddock Films for a film featuring Rajkumar Rao and Kirti Senon.

Sharing his pandemic experience, Manthan says that just when he was approached by Maddock Films, the lockdown happened, and the film got shelved for some time. So, he started taking on writing projects and assisted Karan Vyas, the dialogue writer of the famous OTT series- ‘Scam 1992’. He also worked for the Indian Navy on a documentary about INS Viraat.

Once the lockdown was over, Manthan and two of his friends happened to form a band called ‘Algari’ and share their sorrows over a jam session. Their band gained recognition, and today he also does concerts with his team members.

Discussing his challenges, Manthan shares that while he was in college, he went through a heartbreak that was followed by depression, and he started losing interest in materialistic things. He started losing his faith in God and began doubting his very existence. The experience made him transition from a money-minded person to an artistic survivor. Subsequently, Manthan commenced his writing journey, allowing his thoughts and emotions to flow freely from his heart. He is currently working on writing two short films and a web series.

His films revolve around the topic of unrequited love, and his band is working on depicting a story-based music concert where Manthan’s storytelling and writing skills have been beneficial.

Another challenge that Manthan faced was juggling his medical career with his passion for filmmaking. He was aware that maintaining discipline and having a backup plan would be essential in case his films did not perform well. So, Manthan first completed his MBBS and then tried his luck in films and music. Manthan and his father held divergent views when it came to his decision to pursue a career in the film industry. However, once he proved his worthiness, his father started supporting his passion.

Manthan feels that failing in three subjects of MBBS and getting six months back and utilising that time to fuel his creativity in making a short film has been the most beautiful thing that ever happened to him.

Speaking of his achievements, Manthan says that, besides winning 16 international awards for his film ‘Ageless’, he has also been a recipient of the CIFF Award. He and his band members have also written the theme song for ‘Scam 1992.’

When asked about his role models, Manthan says he draws inspiration from his mother, who supported him with a full heart and encouraged him to keep going in life. His artistic role model is Imtiaz Ali, and he admires him for his films like Rockstar, Highway, Love Aaj Kal, etc.

When stressed, Manthan dives into Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar, his best buddies. He embraces the world of movies with a full heart, allowing himself to be fully immersed in their captivating narratives. Manthan also sings and listens to music to rejuvenate himself. He travels solo whenever he feels depressed in life.

His hobbies include meeting people and exploring new places.

Talking about his mistakes, Manthan, who spent his teenage years in self-loathing, laments that he should have loved himself a little more. On that note, he says if he is given the opportunity to travel back in a time machine, he would meet his 17-year-old self and make him understand that he is one of a kind.

In his message to aspiring filmmakers, Manthan says that they ought to have discipline and utilise internet sources to learn better about the film industry. He adds that they take help from their friends to act in the film and strive to become independent filmmakers. Manthan suggests they be self-motivated and learn the various aspects of filmmaking themselves, especially when they have financial constraints to study at a film school. Manthan adds that patience, hope, and faith are other qualities one needs to have in order to make a successful career in the film industry.

Advising the youth, Manthan says that in a world full of information, youth need to understand the importance of the world that existed without gadgets and the peace one used to get in villages. He suggests the coming generation peek into their pasts, learn from their roots, and try to live in a world without screens. Manthan advises people to be patient, have faith, live a simple life, and just be their natural selves.