A little more than a year ago, Vinay Ratnam, a 25-year-old aspiring feature film director from Rajahmundry, set out to make a short film titled Saagu with the help of his friends. Having worked on nearly 15 short films earlier, he hoped that his new venture would work as a demo film to showcase his potential and pave the way for his directorial dreams. What he did not anticipate is Saagu making its way to a few film festivals, winning awards and being available for viewing on digital platforms.
“I grew up watching Telugu films and am a huge fan of Chiranjeevi garu. Receiving the best film award from him for the South Indian Film Festival felt as though my love for cinema had come full circle,” says Vinay, during a brief visit to Hyderabad.
