My Directorial Journey

My journey as a director has been shaped by experimentation, technology, unconventional stories and, above all, the desire to tell stories that I believe are worth telling.

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2004 — Na Pranam Kante Ekkuva

I made my directorial debut with Na Pranam Kante Ekkuva in 2004, produced by my elder brother, Pratap G Subramanyam, making the film a deeply personal beginning to my journey as a director. The film was an early experiment in digital filmmaking and is regarded as one of the first Indian digital films to reach the screen. ING Vysya came on board as the principal promotional partner, making it an interesting collaboration between cinema and corporate brand promotion.
 

The film faced significant technical challenges during its theatrical journey and did not perform as we had hoped. But for me, it was an important beginning — and an early lesson in the possibilities and challenges of emerging filmmaking technology.

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2006–07 — Rani

My next directorial venture was Rani, a film centred around the lives and experiences of the third-gender community. Shot on film negative, the project featured Tanikella Bharani, Ali and others. Conceived primarily as a film for the festival circuit, Rani allowed me to explore a socially relevant subject through a more intimate and unconventional cinematic language.

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2009 — Kirkit

In 2009, I directed Kirkit, a larger-scale Hindi film with an ensemble cast that included Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Johnny Lever, Sayali Bhagat and others.

The film was released across India. Although its theatrical run was brief and it was withdrawn during its second week, Kirkit gave me the experience of working with a large cast and a Pan-India production and release environment.

2022 — Faasle
Faasle — a 30-minute short film written and produced by Gita Karan, directed by me, featuring Ajit Shukla, Swetaa Varma, Pratiek Varma, Rajnish Sharma and others. The film received recognition and awards at a European film festival.

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2025 — X Roads

After a long creative journey through music, advertising, writing, technology and filmmaking, I returned to direction with X Roads in 2025. A movie that earned 23 awards at international film festivals, adding global recognition to its journey beyond the theatrical release.
 

I wrote and directed the film, which explored the aspirations, friendships, struggles and uncertainties surrounding young people pursuing their dreams in the world of cinema.

The film featured Snehal Kamat, Santosh, Chinni Krishna and others, and was co-produced by Dishyanth Reddy (Rishi).
 

X Roads completed a 50-day theatrical run, marking an important chapter in my return to feature-film direction. The film is now moving towards its digital distribution journey.

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The Journey Continues

Four films, separated by more than two decades, represent very different phases of my life as a filmmaker. From experimenting with digital cinema in 2004, to exploring a socially sensitive subject through Rani, to making a Pan-India commercial film with Kirkit, and eventually returning to filmmaking with X Roads — the journey has never been linear.

Every film taught me something.

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Some taught me about technology.
Some about people.
Some about the industry.
Some about failure.
And some about perseverance.

I don't see these films merely as titles in a filmography. They are milestones in my evolution as a filmmaker. And the journey is far from over...

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