“Natasha Makhija: The visualist who cuts through the clutter”

The birthday cards were the first clue. While other kids picked up store-bought greetings, young Natasha Makhija was building 3D mini-productions — foil hearts, layered textures, tiny details. Her friends adored them; she adored making them. Without realising it, she was absorbing the core lesson that would shape her filmmaking: authentic creativity always rises above the noise.

Today, the 27-year-old Delhi-based filmmaker holds something many in her generation are still chasing — clarity of voice and a deliberate plan to express it. In an industry obsessed with overnight success and romanticised struggle, Natasha represents a different archetype: the practical dreamer who has done the groundwork and knows exactly where she’s headed.

The Foundation: Born From Imagery
Natasha grew up in Delhi in a house where creativity wasn’t compartmentalised, but rather just part of the daily. Her mom painted, and her artwork hung on the walls throughout their home. "She didn't end up being a painter, she ended up being a designer, but close," she explains. The message was clear: .

From the time she was little, Natasha was drawn to anything she could see, shape, or create. She won a prize for clay modeling in first grade and took pride in having the best diagrams in her graphics class.

Natasha turned even the simplest creative tasks into elaborate passion projects. Ask her what they meant and she’ll tell you they weren’t just casual crafts — they were her first real creative ventures, complete with planning, design, and that satisfying moment when someone else connects with something made with intention and care.

The Road to Clarity
Despite having supportive parents who never put restrictions on what she could pursue, Natasha experienced the feeling of being lost right after high school. "I could do anything, but I didn't know what I wanted to do," she says. Sometimes having too many options can be just as paralysing as having too few.

She enrolled in political science at Delhi University’s Gargi College, but within a few months knew it was not a good fit for her. "I really, really disliked it," she admits. But dropping out wasn't a practical option, so she stuck with it, going through the motions while feeling disconnected.

During this time, though, something was happening on Instagram that would eventually change her trajectory. She started noticing professional photographers who were traveling the world, taking beautiful pictures, and actually making money doing it. "That sounds like a great deal, something that I would want to do" – this thought wasn't a lightning-bolt moment, but it was the first time in a while where she knew she wanted to pursue something with surety.

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The Day She Met Her Lens
For her 19th birthday, her father gave her a Nikon D3400. That camera became more than equipment as it turned out to be her tool for exploration. It accompanied her on family vacations, at college events and literally everywhere. She joined her college's photography society and suddenly found herself surrounded by people who were just as excited about images as she was.

"It was just so much fun because I discovered this new possibility that I could not even think of in school," she explains. The space opened up a world she hadn't imagined in reality. She spent days discussing photography with other students, going on photo walks, learning by doing.

Cut to: a three-month internship at Little Anarchy Films introduced her to videography. "I realized, okay, photography is a thing, but people also do video," she says. Each new discovery was expanding what she thought was possible for someone like her.

Spain, and the Self She Found There
After college, Natasha took a plunge. She decided to take a gap year and teach English in Spain which was on her bucket list. She packed her camera, excited about all the beautiful shots she'd capture in a new country.

But something unexpected happened. Despite being in gorgeous locations with her camera always ready, she felt empty. "I was constantly shooting, but I felt this emptiness," she recalls. "I was like, okay, I'm teaching English. I'm here, but I'm not able to really, really do what I want to do."

Spain didn't teach her new photography techniques, but did something more crucial for her career and personal journey. Being away from everything familiar made her realise how much she actually wanted to work in film. The beautiful scenery wasn't enough if she wasn't doing work that felt meaningful to her. She didn't just want to be a photographer who traveled; she wanted to be a filmmaker who told stories. The distinction mattered, and understanding it early saved her from pursuing the wrong path for years.

Around that time, she chose to teach herself basic editing via YouTube videos, picking the right music, and other elements that work together. So then, Natasha came back to India, knowing better than ever that she had to pursue this seriously.

COVID hit just as Natasha returned home. Like everyone else, she was stuck at home. She worked online as a personal assistant to pay bills, but she also used the time to keep practicing. She set up a little studio in her drawing room, using natural light from one corner to shoot product photos and food photography.

"I had these images in my portfolio that I put together and I would send those across to wherever I was applying," she explains. She was applying to production houses everywhere, and eventually one of them—Uncommon Sense Films—reached out.

Real-world film school and the stepping stones
The two years she spent at Uncommon Sense Films became her film education. But it wasn't like any traditional film school. "That place really taught me how to shoot with even just nothing. We would just be told, okay, you have to make something, you don't have the budget, just shoot something."

At first, this was frustrating. Natasha and her colleagues would complain about the lack of resources. But looking back, she realises this was exactly what she needed to learn. "Even though we would hate it at that time, we were frustrated, but in retrospect, I understand how much that taught me about filmmaking."

The lesson was simple but powerful: you don't need perfect equipment or ideal conditions to tell stories. "You just need a camera and you just need to get started." While film school would weave in theory, Natasha was learning the most practical skill of all in real time: how to create something meaningful with whatever you have.

She'd always wondered about film school but could never justify the cost. But these two years proved that formal film education wasn’t a make or break for her. She was getting hands-on experience and learning from people who were actually out there in the industry.

The City That Tested Her
Soon after, Natasha decided to take the leap that countless young creatives before her had made. She went to Mumbai with the hope of working in the 'industry', like all young aspirants. The dream was intoxicating: the glamour, the scale, the prestige of working in the heart of Indian cinema.

But it took a different turn. "It only took one set experience to make me realise that it is not for me," she reflects. "The stress around a shoot, set politics and hierarchy take the joy out of creating for me." The very environment that was supposed to nurture her creativity was stifling it instead. Something felt missing in those spaces, to her. This experience fundamentally shifted her understanding of what success meant to her. "It changed the definition of 'success' for me - which has now become enjoying the work that I do and creating pieces that are authentic to me."

The revelation was liberating: success didn't have to mean conforming to an industry's expectations if those expectations compromised the very reason she wanted to create in the first place.

Looking for More Than Just Work
So she returned to Delhi, not defeated, but clearer about what she actually wanted from her career.

"I've worked with a lot of companies, I've worked on huge projects, but they don't often bring that sense of fulfillment," she explains. The work was professional and well-executed, but it didn't feel like her. "It's a lot of running around, it's a lot of doing things because you're told to do those things."

She's realised that there's a difference between being good at filmmaking and having something personal to say through film.

On navigating the field as a woman filmmaker, she says it comes down to being selective, surrounding herself with collaborators who value her contribution rather than see her gender as a limitation.

"We all are very well aware of the prejudices the industry has against women," she says matter-of-factly. "You are always on-guard being a woman on set."

Rather than letting this reality discourage her, she's developed a pragmatic approach. She's also reframed what might be perceived as a disadvantage into a strength. "I believe that being a woman can be your strength. We think intuitively, emotionally - and that's what filmmaking needs."

So, where does Natasha find herself today?
At the juncture where skill and experience meet personal expression. "This phase of my life is about finding my voice and creating films, creating art, or creating things that I am proud of and that are me," she says.

It's not that she's rejecting commercial work, but she wants to be more selective about what projects she takes on. She wants to spend time writing her own ideas and creating films that come from something she genuinely cares about. "I want to take some time to really sit down, write my own things, create my own ideas and execute those," she explains. "Because I think that's why we creatives want to create. We all have something to tell."

Through this self-discovery process, she also solidified her style of filmmaking, rooted in the mundane and the nature that we so often overlook. “I am drawn and inspired by nature and simplicity. Those are the things I want to romanticise in my work.. the beauty in the everyday,” she says and it reflects in how she perceives her unique yet steady positioning in an industry that often celebrates either overnight success or decades-long struggles.

Natasha represents something that separates her from the crowd: the young, female professional who has done the work, identified her direction, and now knows exactly what she wants her work to stand for.

She’s in pursuit of a particular kind of professional approach. She's not trying to prove herself through extreme measures or waiting for permission from gatekeepers. Instead, she's methodically building her skills, clarifying her vision, and creating opportunities that align with her goals.

As she continues exploring what her voice wants to say, Natasha embodies the most essential truth about creative growth: that finding your voice isn't about having perfect conditions or formal permissions, but revolves around having the courage to begin, the curiosity to continue, and the conviction that your perspective matters, right from the birthday cards to the stories of everyday beauty.

What She’s Learned, and Now Passes On
For young people wondering if they need film school or formal training, her advice is straightforward: