Years after deciding to make her first film, filmmaker Sesha Sindhu Rao, known for films like Choosi Choodangaane, and National Award-winning Gandhi Tatha Chettu, along with her forthcoming web series Kanyasulkam, still vividly recalls the uncertainty, delays and small victories that shaped her journey. At a recent masterclass, she reflected on navigating industry scepticism, resisting gendered labels and more.
Excerpts
You led a masterclass on making your first film. Looking back, what stands out most?
It’s been ten years since I decided to make my first film. I began by writing the story and developing the screenplay, but I knew something wasn’t working. That’s when I found my tribe. I met a writer, became friends with her and gradually brought her into my story. Together, we cracked the screenplay. I then approached producers, but everyone wanted to see a sample because short films were trending. So, I made a pitch video. I gathered friends, raised funds and used my contacts across social media to shoot it. That helped me land my first film. I registered the script in 2016, and the film released in January 2020 — it took nearly five years. Everything I spoke about in the masterclass comes from personal experience, and I still follow the same process.
For my next project, I’m again creating a pitch video, this time using AI to make a three-minute presentation for a large-scale story so producers can clearly visualise it.
Your early years involved working across departments. How did that shape you as a director?
Working in different departments gave me clarity about filmmaking. I understand what my editor, cinematographer and technicians require. A director is the captain of the ship, and everyone must align with a single vision. My hands-on experience helps me communicate better, guide teams effectively and bring technicians into that vision.
You’ve rejected labels like ‘female director’. Why do they still persist?
It’s frustrating. Women are often stereotyped — assumed to be emotional or incapable of handling action films. When I entered the industry, there were very few women, but I’m glad that’s changing. On my latest series, I interviewed 25 people and selected three women and three men. My co-director is male — it was an equal department. Yet labels still affect trust. If you’re emotional or assertive, it’s attributed to gender. No one calls a man a ‘male director’. There’s always extra scrutiny when a woman is in charge. I remember writing a dialogue in my first film where a man says, ‘You girls are all the same’. Someone in the editing team asked how I could write that as a woman. I said, ‘It’s a man speaking, that’s how he talks’. Such questions never stop.
As a producer on the National Award-winning film Gandhi Tata Chettu, did your perspective shift?
Yes. I want to be associated with meaningful stories — stories with heart. I produce films because I get excited by good ideas. If I hear one, I want to be part of it. The story must have value and convey something without being preachy. Today, it’s difficult to protect stories from backlash, so you simply focus on telling them honestly and move forward.
There’s growing emphasis on social media following while casting. What’s your take?
I don’t care whether someone is a content creator. What matters is screen presence and the ability to understand direction. Content creation is about telling your own story; acting is about telling someone else’s story through your perspective. I’ve auditioned creators who couldn’t grasp direction. Acting for cinema or theatre requires depth and continuity—I need to believe in an actor for two hours, not just two minutes.
What excites you enough to say yes to a project today?
The idea — always the idea. As a producer, if I connect with an idea, I return to that initial spark whenever doubts arise. As a director, I revisit it after a month to see if it still excites me. My approaches differ, but in both roles, everything begins with the idea.