Production dream for music man Ray

18 July 2006

AN East Ham actor and musician will soon be producing his first-ever music documentary to be screened on Channel 4.

The programme will focus on the life of Asian musician Talvin Singh who won the Mercury Music Prize in 1999.

Although Ray Verma's credits in front of the camera include appearances on TV in Footballers' Wives and on film in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, the documentary, Shifting Rhythms, will be his first music production.

The 90 minute-long programme will be directed by Daniel Jewel, and filmed on location in Brick Lane, Whitechapel, and New Delhi, India.

Ray, 27, of Brighton Road, is excited by the project and more importantly, the subject matter, Talvin Singh. The musician, who grew up in Leytonstone, contacted Ray several months ago and approached him to work on the documentary, which will focus on the effects of Talvin's music both in India and in the United Kingdom.

Ray studied at the London College of Music and Media in West London and graduated in 2001. Since then he has worked as an assistant director on music videos, as well as having taken television and film roles, since he believes it is important to have as many strings to one's bow as possible.