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The screenplay of our lives is already written.

We just don’t know the next scene.

Rohit Gupta

INT. CORPORATE AMERICA. 2008.
A career on the rise.

Then came four weeks off,
to get this film thing out of his system.

Little did he know.

It did the opposite.

New York Film Academy · 2008
D&F FilmsTen ways in — take any one
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The Making

D&F Films — Dot & Feather Entertainment
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Chapter four · After the camera stopped

Animated, sung, scored,
and cut together.

Int. Post — 2012 – 2016

A shoot is the short part. The fable that opens Midnight Delight is stop‑motion, animated frame by frame on the computer by co‑producer Saumin Mehta, who led the animated opening, VFX, and much of post-production.

Zaher Akahshli scored it. The voices were recorded separately, actors alone in a room talking to a mouse.

On Life! Camera Action… the song came first and the film was built around it, recorded with KK and Manoj Singh.

Saumin Mehta at the editing desk during Midnight Delight post-production
Post-production · Midnight Delight
Saumin MehtaCo-producer · Animator · VFX creative director

Co-producer Saumin Mehta led the animated opening, VFX, and much of post-production, working with composer Zaher Akahshli and the voice cast.

Two films, made two different ways — stop-motion animation for one, a song session for the other. Start with the one you’re curious about.

Midnight Delight

The animation · the voices · the score
The animationStills from the film’s opening · the fable of the mouse

Photographs from this stage of the production appear here once the page is interactive.

Midnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the whole jungle, up and movingMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the lion, mid-sermonMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the lion, not yet convincedMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the mouse, making his caseMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the lion, hearing him outMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the mouse works the roomMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the lion gets upMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the elephant, put to workMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the elephant, persuadedMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the elephant on his feetMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — a lion, a mouse and an elephantMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — the whole jungle, listening to a mouseMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — and off they goMidnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — frame 14 of 15Midnight Delight — stills from the animated opening — frame 15 of 15

The film opens on a fable of its own. A mouse goes through the jungle telling everyone to get up and make something of themselves — and one by one the lion, the elephant, the whole jungle, they get up and follow him.

Then they find out he was stoned. Stop‑motion, animated frame by frame — the work of co-producer Saumin Mehta, animator and VFX creative director, working with composer Zaher Akahshli and the voice cast.

Michael Lester voices the lion; Shaheed Woods the elephant and the mouse. These frames are stills from the film itself, not set photographs.

Making the animationSaumin Mehta, frame by frame

Photographs from this stage of the production appear here once the page is interactive.

Midnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — saumin mehta building the fableMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — saumin mehta frame by frameMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — saumin mehta at the deskMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — saumin mehta animating the jungleMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — saumin mehta late in the sessionMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — the fable taking shapeMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — the making of the animationMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — the animation under constructionMidnight Delight — Saumin Mehta making the animated opening — frame by frame
The voicesMichael Lester is the lion · Shaheed Woods the elephant and the mouse

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Midnight Delight — recording the voices of the fable — michael lester voicing the lionMidnight Delight — recording the voices of the fable — shaheed woods the elephant and the mouseMidnight Delight — recording the voices of the fable — shaheed woods recording his trackMidnight Delight — recording the voices of the fable — frame 4 of 4
The musicZaher Akahshli, composer · scored in post with Saumin Mehta

Photographs from this stage of the production appear here once the page is interactive.

Midnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Zaher Akahshli, the music composerMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Zaher at work on the scoreMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Saumin Mehta and Zaher, scoring in postMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Saumin Mehta and Zaher at the deskMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Zaher Akahshli in the edit roomMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — the score taking shapeMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Saumin Mehta and Zaher building a cueMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — zaher working a cue throughMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — Saumin Mehta and Zaher on the mixMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — late in the sessionMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — the session runs onMidnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — frame 12 of 13Midnight Delight — the music sessions with composer Zaher Akahshli — frame 13 of 13
Post-productionMost of it the work of co-producer Saumin Mehta

Photographs from this stage of the production appear here once the page is interactive.

Midnight Delight — post-production — cutting the filmMidnight Delight — post-production — the timeline and the binsMidnight Delight — post-production — a scene up on the monitor

Life! Camera Action…

The song · the session · the cut
The song

KK sang it.

“Chalte Jaana Hain” — written by Rohit Gupta, composed by Manoj Singh, and sung by KK, one of the most loved playback voices India has had. Four minutes fifty-one. It won Best Song at the 28th Goldie Film Awards, the award going to KK and Manoj Singh.

A feature made by a two-person crew, with one of India’s most celebrated playback voices on its soundtrack.

In the studio during the Chalte Jaana Hain session — KK with composer Manoj Singh and arranger Fahim Khan
The session — KK, composer Manoj Singh, arranger Fahim Khan
ListenYouTube · Chalte Jaana Hain · 4:51 The fan-club releaseYouTube · posted by KK’s fans on his birthday The soundtrack on the film’s record
The recording sessionChalte Jaana Hain · KK · Manoj Singh

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Life! Camera Action — the recording session with KK and Manoj Singh — Manoj Singh (left) with Singer KK (Center)Life! Camera Action — the recording session with KK and Manoj Singh — Singer KK with Music Director Manoj Singh at Song recording for LCA
Post-productionLife! Camera Action…

Photographs from this stage of the production appear here once the page is interactive.

Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 1 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 2 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 3 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 4 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 5 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 6 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 7 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 8 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 9 of 10Life! Camera Action — post-production — frame 10 of 10
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