Director Joe Rajan talks about Echoes of Us success and the Salman Khan effect

Director Joe Rajan's Echoes of Us has emerged as a global festival favourite, earning 67 laurels and multiple acting awards for Deepak Tijori and Iulia Vantur. Rajan credits strong content as king, while acknowledging that support from Arijit Singh and Salman Khan helped amplify the film's reach.

Director Joe Rajan’s short film Echoes of Us has quietly turned into a global festival success story. With 67 laurels, multiple acting awards for Deepak Tijori and Iulia Vantur, and recognition for himself as a director, Rajan is now seeing his small film make big noise. In a candid conversation with India Today, he discussed how short films are breaking boundaries, the importance of content, and why a name like Salman Khan can change the game, but only if the film truly deserves it.

Responding to whether the boundaries between mainstream and independent cinema are dissolving, Rajan said he never set out with such a thought. “Honestly, I have no clue. I made this short film without thinking about where it would reach. I never knew what was going to happen. Initially, when Deepak (Tijori) and I wrote the script, and he wanted me to direct it, I just thought we were making a short film. I mean, what can a short film really do?”

What followed, however, even surprised him. “But later, when we started sending it to festivals, the kind of appreciation we received was unbelievable. We’ve collected almost 67 laurels so far. Deepak Tijori, after working in so many films, hasn’t even received a supporting actor award in his long career. And here, he received around 11–12 Best Actor awards from places like LA, the US, Barcelona, Berlin, Singapore, Zimbabwe, and India. Iulia, as an actress, received around five Best Actress awards from across the world. As a director, I’ve received more than five to seven Best Director awards. Altogether, the film has gathered nearly 67 laurels and is still moving around festivals,” he said.

Rajan admitted they never imagined the film would travel this far or that singer Arijit Singh or Salman Khan would eventually come on board. “We never knew it could reach somewhere like this. The film is growing through festivals and making noise. Naturally, short films don’t usually create this kind of buzz. We never imagined it would go this far or that Arijit would eventually be part of the song or that Salman would come on board. It all just happened organically. Maybe there was a lot of goodness in the film that helped it grow. At least now, before its release, there is already noise in the industry about this short film coming out. Usually, short films are noticed only after release. But for the past few months, Echoes of Us has been creating buzz; it’s truly echoing everywhere,” he said.

He added, “It sets an example that if short films are taken seriously, they can cross boundaries. But you have to give 100% to your craft and 100% in your thinking. Whether the project is big or small, you must give your best.”

However, Rajan was candid about the role star power plays in pushing a project forward. “I can guarantee that a big name like Arijit or Salman definitely pushes a project. But it also depends on the content. Many big names might support a subject, but if the content doesn’t work properly for them, it may still not do well. It has to work simultaneously; if someone is promoting you, there has to be something worthy to promote. Even if you request someone to support your film, saying, ‘I made this, and I feel your push can help it,’ ultimately, the product is important. If your content isn’t right, why would anyone push it?”