Hrisheek Panchmatia born and raised in Hong Kong, has specialized in Economics and Finance, working at high profile firms such as HSBC before transitioning into the film industry. Since then Hrisheek has been based between Hong Kong, Monaco and Los Angeles where he is Producing and lending his expertise on several projects. He has been on projects such as ‘Get Lost’, (Terrance Howard, James Cromwell), Ridley Scott’s ‘House of Gucci‘, (Lady Gaga & Al Pacino), and ‘Napoleon‘. Recently, Hrisheek has partnered up with ‘Force Majeure’ (a production company based in Monaco and Atlanta) to adapt New York Times Best Seller ‘Relentless’ into a television show as well as develop a feature film with an Academy Award Nominated writer that is scheduled to shoot in Shanghai in Spring 2023. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Hrisheek about his upcoming film projects.
(Interviewed By: Amani Sams)
What inspired you to transition from Economics & Finance to the film industry?
I really did enjoy studying Economics and Finance, I think they are such interesting subjects. But when I was at university, I looked around at a lot of the best and brightest students in this field and realized I wasn’t performing at their level because I didn’t have the same love or passion for it. For them what they were studying meant a great deal to them. I guess it motivated me to go out and find my own passion, something I could call mine. And eventually, I did.
I was always fascinated by the Film Industry but was always afraid to take the plunge, it felt like such a risky and daunting move. When I spent a year abroad in Shanghai, it was the first time I was exposed to people from different backgrounds and upbringings than me. I saw friends that I made truly pursuing their ambitions without being afraid/intimidated by the risk. I saw people of all ages at various stages of lives and realized it was okay to take risks even if I end up failing. It’s an easy thing to say now, but looking back that most probably the biggest obstacle I had ever climbed. It went against my upbringing in every sense of the way. Ultimately I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to write this today and say that I followed dream to be a producer in the Film Industry.
What do you believe is the most important quality to have as a producer?
The most important quality for a producer in my opinion is the ability to network at a high level. The more meaningful relations you form, the easier it is to get things done and to get onto projects. This ability will help you get access to better talent, distribution, facilities, equipment and also more financing. Networking along with a strong work ethic I feel is the backbone to any Producer of any job. Ultimately, it will help carry you and open up a wide range of doors within the Industry.
What hardships did you experience in the film industry during the time of Covid?
I was studying during the time when the pandemic was at its peak so I was very lucky in the sense that I did not experience the full severity of hardships that many of my peers felt. But there was a huge overwhelming sense of anxiety, as the majority of the industry was shut down for such a long time. I was an Associate Producer on The Runner, an indie Feature film. I wasn’t around for Production, but I know they wrapped about a week or so before anyone heard about a lock down. I can for certain that had I not been given the opportunity to be a part of that project, if it had been shut down, then I probably wouldn’t be here today.
Out of all the films that you have worked on which has been your favorite and why?
My favorite film that I have worked on is probably Get Lost, it was so much fun being able to work on live locations in Budapest and no pun intended ‘Get Lost’ in that world and culture. The cast and the entire production team were so great that it just made the experience incredibly memorable. I have also been doing a lot of work on the post production side of things for this film. I’ve gotten to dive into an unknown area for me and learn about this side of the filmmaking process. Quite frankly this project has connected me to such an immense amount of talent that I feel very humbled to have been able to be part of this project.
Tell us about your upcoming projects “Relentless” & the project in Shanghai.
Relentless is based on the New York Times Bestselling book with the same name. It has been extremely exciting to work on this project as it is set in a truly unique world filled with all sorts of supernatural beings. Juggling all of these elements and bringing this story to life has been an incredible experience so far. At the same time, there is a lot of pressure as well as the book series has a cohort of passionate fans so we very much want to deliver a project that pleases and one that they can be proud of. This will be the first major TV show that I produce and I am very excited to bring it to life. For the project set in Shanghai, it is very much under wraps, all I can say is that it is an incredibly special project to all those involved. We have been developing it for several years now and have had a lot of setbacks especially due to COVID but now it looks like that we will finally be able go into pre-production in a few months.
