It will be always in my mind whenever I feel low as an indie filmmaker.” – Lokesh Kumar (Dir: My Son is Gay) It just shows that no one can stop an artist from being true to his art. Inspite of the ban and strict laws against him, he managed to have made this unique film with bare minimum resources while acting in it. The government didn’t care that he was a big filmmaker and had contributed so much for Iranian cinema. Panahi was banned by the Iran government from making films as he portrays the reality of Iran and its politics. But this one particular Iranian film by Jafar Panahi was exceptionally inspiring because the story behind the making of the film and the struggles the filmmaker faced in his country are beyond believable. “There are several films which have inspired me as a filmmaker. But what are the early films or memories that shaped their thought process and subconsciously influenced their work? We speak to the six most promising indie directors today about the films that inspired them. Our independent filmmakers have spun some brave, less-oft-experimented ideas into beautiful gems. The Indian indie landscape has continued to evolve in the last few years, widening its appeal among the non-traditional Bollywood consumers.