Utpal Kalal is a doctor turned filmmaker. He is the founder of UK Pictures Entertainment in Udaipur.

Utpal Kalal was born in Falasiya, a small village near Udaipur. He completed his secondary education in the village and shifted to Udaipur with his family.

Ever since his childhood, Utpal was very creative by nature, but he could not find a proper stage to prosper. While he was in Russia, pursuing his studies in medicine, he was introduced to international filmmaking and once he stepped into it, he couldn’t escape from it. Utpal says he was mesmerized by the course that he had taken and realized his potential in the field of filmmaking was immense.

While he was pursuing his studies in Russia, Utpal had a friend who used to do photography for Nat Geo and had the same interest in storytelling as him. They both collaborated to make a small music video which was recognized by the international media and Utpal knew he could do great things if he ventured into the field of filmmaking. From there on, Utpal’s journey as a filmmaker started.

The challenge for Utpal was to find a balance between his studies and his passion for filmmaking. He used to study both the subjects extensively together and wanted to gather as much as he could. He wanted to tell stories that would resonate with people from all over the globe and he was successful in doing so.

Utpal’s most recent documentary, The 14th February and Beyond, explores Valentine's day historically, culturally, and capitalistically. It was the first research that was done on this subject and was highly acclaimed by the critics. ‘The 14th February and Beyond’ has been nominated for ten international official selections and has even won two awards. It has also been selected for the International film Festival of India and is scheduled to premiere on all major OTT platforms. As a filmmaker, it is a very proud moment for him and he wishes to continue his journey in the same way ahead.

For people aspiring to pursue a career in medicine, Utpal advises them to be completely focused on their studies because medicine is a very competitive field to study. For people pursuing filmmaking, he advises them to try and understand the grammar and technicalities of the subject which would guide them to perfecting the craft of filmmaking.

For Utpal, education is very important in any field, may it be medicine or filmmaking because he believes it helps broaden a person’s perspective about things. Just like his recent documentary, which was completely based on his research, education has played a big role in his upliftment in life and so he urges everyone to “first learn and then earn.”

Regarding his role models, Utpal says his inspiration in life are his parents who have always motivated him and pushed him forward to do greater things in life, even after coming from a small village. His inspiration professionally are other filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Werner Herzog, who’s articles inspired Utpal to give his best in the world of filmmaking, and not just work to earn money.

If he is given a chance to go back in time, Utpal would change nothing because whatever he is today, he is because of the time and circumstances and he is content with it.

In his free time, Utpal loves to read and write. He is also fond of traveling. He likes to exchange stories with other people and says most of his spare time revolves around filmmaking.