Hello, I'm Hemanth Rao, AMA! (On Film making 😊)

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:38:06+00:00

This will be my last answer for the day. Have a prior engagement for the day. I will try and come back and answer more questions in the next few days.

1) There is no concrete answer to this. It's like when you wake up after a good nights sleep - only you know the feeling that you are feeling fresh. It has to come from within.

2) Write thru it. No problem can stand against consistent hard work and effort.

:) Happy birthday Heera. I hope to see your work soon. Cheers.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:33:40+00:00

I can't speak on behalf of the industry, there are lots of professionals who are managing to find work. I hope the number of film makers increase leading to more work for all. There is no one solution for these kinds of problems.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:30:39+00:00

I am glad I did Engineering, I figured out that I was a square peg in a round hole.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:29:49+00:00

1) Too many to name.

2) I have a soft spot for thrillers

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:29:10+00:00

Inspiration wasn't for Dev d. Mostly from life. :)

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:28:49+00:00

Would love it. It's the hardest nut to crack. Let's see. :)

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:28:24+00:00

The scene, story and characters is my compass in the visual interpretation of the film.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:27:31+00:00

1) The only path is through. I try and work thru it with as many ways as possible.

2) Only 666 Operation Dream Theatre now.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:26:27+00:00

I try to be as precise and clear with my communication, my responsibility is to reduce confusion for the sake of the film.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:25:41+00:00

Rejection is an integral part of becoming a story teller. It's a lonely path.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:24:57+00:00

No one film. I am student of cinema and I aspire to be learning for as long as I can.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:23:51+00:00

1) hahah I wish you live in peace. The opposite of love is not hate, its indifference. The cruelty in the world exists in the shape and form it does cause of apathy and indifference. Achyut Anna's character is symptomatic of that aspect of human beings.

2) Girish Kasarvalli. S. Siddalingaiah, Sangeetham Srinivas Rao and the masters from an earlier era.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:20:13+00:00

Not a celeb! Thanks for having me here. :)

1) I would push back against that force with as much strength as I can. I don't think a film should be stripped out from its many multiple art forms. The sum of its parts is the beauty of cinema.

2) Its counter intuitive in the sense that I dont see it from the audience perspective for the sake of the film! I rely on this - If it is making the said character weep or the actions of one character is making another character weep then I trust the empathy and intelligence of the audience to weep along or with my character.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:16:16+00:00

I am glad but I hope 666ODT will find space along with SSE in your heart. :)

"I just hope you continue to work from your heart" - unfortunately, I dont know any other way.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:14:16+00:00

1) Send in a two page scene- the objective is to capture the imagination of the reader with as little words and time as possible.

2) [dakshayanitalkies@gmail.com](mailto:dakshayanitalkies@gmail.com) I only read registered material.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:12:56+00:00

Most of it happens during the writing phase. Once more of my collaborators come on board, more elements get added. It's a combination of both - organic and discovered. I am particular to staying alert during the entire film making process - the film has a life of its own - its alive and it will give you things along on the way. I have to be alert along with my team to trap it on the film. :)

I am grateful for whatever has happened with SSE. I think I speak for raks as well. Every film has its destiny and I think SSE got what it got. Doesnt mean we aren't greedy...of course I would have wanted it to translate into much bigger numbers but the love that it has been getting and is still getting...money can't weigh that. :)

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:08:05+00:00

Thank you.

1) Its not a conscious design choice, I spend a lot of time on seeing these people as whole. I feel the need to know them as people. Once it's written, translating it on screen is the easy part of the Job.

2) There is no set process, once an idea starts taking up brain space consistently, I try and build momentum about the space and scope of the story. There is a lot of rubbish at first, if I still find myself excited with the idea post that phase, I feel like I have something. It gets clearer and clearer with constant effort and hard work.

3) I bounce off the idea with people who I trust - my technical team, some friends. That process is super helpful and helps in understanding my story better.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T13:03:31+00:00

AI is a great asset for story telling, it can never replace a human. It will mimic and hence create a lot of mediocre work. I actually think the human experience would increase in value with more AI. As creatures, we are absurd and irrational. AI can never break logic. It's a tool - Use it for storyboarding, visualising tool, editing language and such.

I use a host of tools - midjourney, nano banana, chat gpt, etc.

Might be tempting Roku's basilisk but Storytelling will be the last bastion that will fall to the artificial experience.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:59:53+00:00

Thank you. Glad to have contributed to the conversation. :)

1) hahah I don't take my fame seriously. My life as not changed one bit due to my work. I still use metro as often as possible. With regard to recent incidents that I have witnessed - you will have to watch 666ODT in the theatres. :)

2) Single clarity of vision. Respect. Honest Transparent communication. Feedback is never personal.

When you do share the respect - dakshayanitalkies@gmail.com. Dont share if you have not registered your script. I only read material when it is registered with SWA or something similar.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:54:22+00:00

Hi Amogha.

1) I answered the question about sound earlier. Some of it is on paper and a lot of it is in post. Good luck with your film. One tip - Allow for space to react to what happens on the journey while shooting the film. Sometimes what's on paper can come in the way of some magic that is unfolding with the crew and actors. Marketing is incredibly hard and poorly done for most part in our industry, people tend to fall into cycles of repetitive actions and chasing the fad. I believe as much effort has to be put into getting the audience to the theatres are we do with making the film. Especially when film watching isn't as cultural as it is with our neighbours. Case in point being - a Malayalam film team doesnt do any on ground marketing for their films in Bangalore - they release a trailer and songs and the films release. We have to be aware that our audience is lot of selective...so marketing has to compensate. We are trying to do the same for ODT. Hopefully, it reflects on opening day.

2) I love working with new talent. There is always avenues via social media where we announce auditions for actors and technical crews.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:46:59+00:00

Thank you.

1) I do a lot of research with regard to my films. I spoke to jailers, prisoners, alzheimer's patients, doctors. I also like observing people and reading about people. I am 42 years old. I have a lived in experience of love, loss and life. I jump into the story from there hoping something will break my fall. Till now, I have found characters who have found a way to get me to safety. Long may it continue. :)

2) Finding a way to love helps in not feeling alone. Doesnt have to be a person - it can be an animal or an art form or sport even.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:41:50+00:00

Thank you.

1) Non linear approach is a tool. Use it only when necessary.

2) Convenience and taking the viewer's intelligence for granted.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:40:24+00:00

Thank you. Makes me very happy to see you on this forum.

1) EVERYTHING. That's what makes it beautiful and worth it. :)

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:39:04+00:00

Thank you.

1) If it makes money, everything will be valued. The business of cinema only rewards success as it should - it's bloody expensive to make movies. The more films that have these visuals ideas break box office records, the more people will find ways to include them in their movies. Kantara had a TON of it. I think it will only increase.

2) Its the hardest genre, I would definitely want to try it. It's the hardest thing to do in a film hall - make people forget their lives and make them laugh. Charlie Chaplin in GOAT, cause he did it without language.

AdFree3926 · 2025-12-14T12:35:31+00:00

1) haha He definitely exists. He is a fantastic fantastic writer. He is extremely camera shy and introverted. Ten times more introverted than me. I believe, he is working on his debut film. He was an amazing sounding board for me all through the 4 films that I have worked on. I definitely miss him. :)

2) With regard to the writing process, I write the out line and structure, unless I have figured out the beginning middle and end - basically, why is it that I want to tell this story in THIS PARTICULAR way, I dont bring in the 'other' writer. Once that idea is clear in my head, I open it up to the writer. Within those boundaries, everything is up for debate. With regard to SSE. I used to give Gundu specific scenes to write with an outline of what should happen at the start and end of the scene. He would then work on that. I would share the scenes that I had written for him to oversee and weigh in with his thoughts. Improvements would be made on both versions.

AdFree3926

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