Mitesh Kumar Patel On His New Film Instant Karma, Possible Sequel

The 411 Interview: Mitesh Kumar Patel

Mitesh Kumar Patel is a writer, director, and producer who, according to imdb, has been making movies since at least 2010. Patel has directed such movies as Neron, Anti Corona Virus, and the thriller House of Quarantine (check out my review of House of Quarantine here). Patel’s latest movie as a director is the fantasy drama Instant Karma, which stars Stew Jetson, Samantha Belle, Karl Haas, and AC Larkin. In this interview, Patel talks with this writer about making Instant Karma, working with the cast, and more.

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Bryan Kristopowitz: Why did you want Instant Karma to be your next movie as a director?

Mitesh Kumar Patel: I was looking for a feature film to produce and after going through hundreds of scripts I could not find the perfect fit. When I came up with this rough idea I figured that since I was the one who created it, it would be beneficial for me to execute it.

BK: What was your inspiration for the story for Instant Karma?

MKP: I was looking for a small idea of what would happen if a ride share driver found something magical in something so mundane as his every day job, his car. I figured that would be a good concept for a low budget movie as the storyline is interesting and saves money as it is mainly in a car.

BK: Describe your working relationship with writers Scott Gore and Matt Midgette.
MKP: Scott is really comfortable with writing these types of stories. When I give him concepts similar to Instant Karma he is just so fast in pulling together a script. Matt and Scott work together in their own way so I mainly work with Scott.

BK: Where was Instant Karma made?
MKP: Instant Karma was made around the Phoenix area of Arizona.

BK: How did you cast Instant Karma?
MKP: I did auditions following CDC guidelines during the pandemic so we could find the right fits.

BK: How long did it take to make Instant Karma, from finishing the screenplay to completing post-production?
MKP: It took about four months total. One month for the screenplay, one for production and two for post.

BK: What was the most difficult part of making Instant Karma for you as a director? What was the easiest?
MKP: As a director, the most difficult part of filming Instant Karma was the day we shot in downtown Phoenix. We only had permits to shoot there for one day there and we had fourteen pages to get done. On top of that it was around 115 degrees every day. It was difficult to do all of that while also following social distancing and mask guidelines. The easiest part was that half of the movie was filmed inside of a car.

BK: Is it right to call Instant Karma a drama or is it more of a fantasy?
MKP: I feel it is a little bit of both. The concept is fantasy-esque however the content of the plot is dramatic. I would call it a feel-good fantasy drama.

BK: How was making Instant Karma different from your thriller House of Quarantine?
MKP: Filming House of Quarantine was an entirely different feat due to the pandemic. The screenplay had been written and filmed all within the span of a month just nearly missing the national lockdowns and adjusting to ever changing requirements by the CDC. Instant Karma was a lot less stressful due to the fact that we had fully gotten into the groove of the new CDC guidelines and everyone knew what they were expecting for production conditions.

BK: What do you hope audiences get out of Instant Karma?
MKP: I hope audiences take away the moral message that everything you do has an effect. Whether it’s negative or positive every action has a result so you should be mindful of your actions and, more importantly, your intentions driving them. I hope my viewers learn that actions driven by greed can have some severe effects.

BK: What sort of release is Instant Karma receiving?
MKP: Instant Karma is being given a large digital release and a limited theatrical release.

BK: Is it possible to make an Instant Karma sequel? Would you want to make a sequel?
MKP: Yes it is possible, a sequel is already in the works.

BK: How did you decide on the car used by Jeff as the sort of “magical car’?
MKP: The car used was actually my own, I was originally looking for a classic car but after looking for so long and not finding the perfect match I decided to go with a fancy more modern car instead. My car was a nice Infinite so I felt it was a good fit and conveniently it saved money for the budget.

BK: If you found yourself in the same situation as Jeff do you think you would make the same decisions? Just how tempting is “doubling your money”?
MKP: Honestly, I would probably go through the same emotions as Jeff. However, I wouldn’t make any decisions that would’ve negatively impacted those close to me.

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A very special thanks to Mitesh Kumar Patel for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.

Check out my review of Instant Karma here!

Check out the official website of Applied Art Productions here.

Check out Mitesh Kumar Patel’s Facebook page here.

Mitesh Kumar Patel image courtesy of Mitesh Kumar Patel. All other images courtesy of Applied Art Productions.