Raam Reddy.
Credit: Instagram/raamreddy.creates
After a Locarno win (Thithi, 2015) and a Berlin premiere (Jugunuma: The Fable) last year, director Raam Reddy is all set to make his third film. Titled Lavender Fire, he describes the movie as a “Gen Z Mumbai drama”.
The filmmaker will return to casting non-actors, much like in his debut film Thithi. “I'm writing with an approach similar to Thithi, where I'm casting first, getting to know them, and then writing for them,” he tells DH.
Raam’s first feature in 2015 was a Kannada rural comedy centred around the 11th day funeral ceremony of a 101-year-old man. His second feature — a surrealist drama featuring Manoj Bajpayee and Tilottama Shome — was set in a small Himalayan town. Lavender Fire will be centred around the modelling influencer world in Mumbai. “The film will be high-energy, very spontaneous, and authentic to Gen Z culture. It will also be flexible in its production,” Raam shares.
He is developing the film with his long-time associate Ere Gowda and photographer Mourya Dandu. He says he is shooting the film himself and was quite excited to reveal that he got the film’s title in a “dream”.
Despite challenges in reaching audiences for indie films, Raam remains motivated by the creative process and believes “there is a thriving segment of people interested in this type of work”.
Lavender Fire will be made under his banner Prspctvs Productions. They will start shooting in January.