Done in micro-budget but production standards on-par with international cinema, Love Lies and Seeta is the first of its kind in the effort to make a urban/ hip/romantic comedy and entertainer in a extremely low budget that appeals to the current generation of movie goers or anyone who loves cinema.
Limited by budget constraints and funded by film enthusiasts who believed in the project and in Chandra Pemmaraju’s strong screenplay, the independent film made ample use of New York as its backdrop, as its most important supporting character. It became a necessary element in creating the film. Shot in 52 different locations in just 28 days, using the revolutionary Red Camera, Love, Lies & Seeta depicts New York as it was meant to be seen, using the natural beauty of our seasonal summer against the urban domesticity we’ve come to know and love.
Starring Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie, Fringe), Lavrenti Lopes (I am Omar, Kissing Miss Jones), Michael Derek (As the World Turns, Left Behind) and Melanie Kannokada (Tapestries of Hope, When Harry Tries to Marry).
Featuring American and Indian actors, it is an urban romantic comedy about a love triangle set in NYC.
Wr i ter -di rector Chandr a Pemmaraju, made a switch from financial services to movie making two years ago, and since then has made 2 independent films, Kissing Miss Jones and May Beetle — both 23 minute shorts, that have played in various international festivals.
Storyline
A screenplay written by Chandra Pemmaraju, Love, Lies and Seeta is a story of 7 youngsters during a New York Summer. The movie follows the lives of 3 youngsters Tom, Rahul and Bhavesh Patel (aka Bhavuk) who met Seeta by chance at different points in their life. A chance encounter with her again in NY after they are grown up, and all fall for the same girl.
But one problem, Seeta doesn’t believe in love. Seeta, adopted daughter of american parents John and Sussane McKinsey, and sister of a loving brother Alan McKinsey (aka Bud), has a different take on love. She feels love is like adolescence, and that it fades as one grows old. Her best friends, Caroline and Ramya have their own views about love and life — yet all three are inseparable.
The movie explores the friendships, subtle differences among the friends during a summer in New York, and is a semi nod to hollywood and bollywood cinema, all told in a entertaining way. The film is written, produced and directed by Chandra Pemmaraju and shot by Lukasz Pruchnik using revolutionary Red Camera.
