Have I Made it Yet? - A Podcast for Filmmakers

Sai is a Director/Producer from Hyderabad who was one of the founding members of Raasta Studios, and he currently heads Raasta Films, an Independent Film Studio.  Entrepreneurially, Sai has proven a lot, quickly growing Raasta Studios into one of the major audiovisual production studios in Hyderabad In this episode, Ashwin and Sai talk about his path so far, about the origins of Raasta Studios, and what it takes to balance business and art. They talk about Sai's experience shooting ad films, short films which lead to him producing and directing feature films, web series, and an international documentary project in Africa. Sai talks about methods he uses in Documentary Films. They also discuss the difficulties of heading a project that has been stuck in development hell.  Make sure to subscribe to this podcast and follow us on instagram at @have.i.made.it.yet

The guest for this episode is someone who has been working on films since 2017, initially with dogs, and more recently in the Art Department. Priyanka Nair started her career as a Dog Behaviourist and went on to train hundreds of dogs for numerous clients including the National Security Guard and children with Autism before stepping into film. She discusses her childhood and how her love for animals began right at home, which led her to devote most of her life so far to animals. She talks about the various difficulties and challenges that a dog trainer faces while having a dog on set and advices aspiring writers and directors on the right kind of decisions to make when writing or planning for a dog in a film. Ashwin and Priya also talk about their love for dogs and their experiences with their pets, how they cope with loss and how Dogs are perhaps the most beautiful beings on the planet that have so much that human beings can learn from Resources - tinyurl.com/filmanimals

Swetaa Varma, an actor who has made her mark in the telugu indipendent film scene through the various characters that she has portrayed accross different genres. She has played a very diverse set of roles through her career, making herself known to be extremely versatile. Swetaa and Ashwin discuss how she decided to become an actor, the experiences that shaped who she is professionally and what her approach is towards acting. They also talk about the things that come in the way of acting and filmmaking and how such hurdles can be overcome by solutions as simple as open communication. This is part 1 of a two part episode. The next episode will be out next friday.

After having barely passed through his BTech, Krishna completed 6 months Short Course in filmmaking at Whistling Woods International. He then set up a camera rental store in Hyderabad where he set out to meet with like minded people in order to network and create a team for himself(something he says he would never advice anybody to do). Finding success in his plan half a decade later in creating the right team for himself, Krishna directed a webseries called Artist for Tamada Media following which in late 2019 he lead the young team of Pachchis into production. The film, produced by Raasta FIlms is slated to be released soon. Krishna and Ashwin discuss Krishna's choices; the path he has taken, how he tackles self doubt and insecurity in a profession that is filled with unpredictability. Krishna candidly opens up about his experiences on the sets of Pachchis, how the film made its way into completion through complete uncertainty in the beginning.

Cinematographers Kartik Parmar and Sridhar Kakileti have been working together in the film industry since 2017. Kartik made his presence known with his graduation film, Whitefields, which received accolades around the globe, most prominently at Poitiers Film Festival in 2019. Sridhar, on the other hand, began working in the Telugu film industry as a set photographer while simultaneously working as a street photographer, for which he gained recognition across different curations and exhibitions round the world. Together, they have worked on various short films and corporate films. Their first feature film, Srishti, has been featured in the prestigious MAMI film festival, and their latest finished project, Pachhis is set to release soon. Currently, Sridhar dons the role of DOP for Tambourine Films’ upcoming project Thadiginathom, while Kartik fulfils the same role for Mirage Media’s web series titled Qubool Hai.