India, Sept. 29 -- Filmmaker and writer Shivam Shankar calls Anurag Kashyap his "teenage hero", and his short film Bhed Bakri Bhoot carries hints of the filmmaker's dark, witty, and unabashedly raw world. The film, which is now streaming on YouTube, had a successful festival run, including Best Short Film at IIFSA Toronto and Best Indian Short Film at Yellow Stone.

In a recent interaction with Hindustan Times, Shivam spoke about how a single Instagram message helped him land a job with Anurag Kashyap, how young filmmakers like himself view their audiences, and why he believes Hanuman Ansh benefited from its small budget.

Excerpts:

The germ initially came from the urge to make a short film because that is where we can practice direction...