The scarlet-hued poster of the Telugu film 23, featuring a burning bus, boldly quotes George Orwell’s Animal Farm: “All are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Produced and directed by Raj R, and presented by Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media, the film is inspired by true events that unfolded in undivided Andhra Pradesh during the 1990s.
Three major incidents shaped its narrative, Raj explains. In 1991, the Tsunduru massacre witnessed brutal caste violence against Dalits. In 1993, 23 passengers lost their lives after two Dalit men set a bus on fire in Chilakaluripet. In 1997, a car bomb explosion in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, reportedly killed 23 people and injured several others. Raj recalls how, as a teenager, he reacted with anger to the Film Nagar blast. “Today, at 49, I see things from multiple perspectives — shaped by the books I have read and the experiences I’ve lived,” he reflects, adding that he has taken creative liberties in crafting the film’s story.
The first look poster of ‘23’ caught attention recently
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Special Arrangement
Raj’s previous works — including Mallesham(a Telugu biopic on Pochampally weaver Chintakindi Mallesham), the Hindi relationship drama 8 A.M Metro, and the Malayalam action-drama Paka(River of Blood) — were all independently produced. 23 follows the same path.
New faces
Raj initially pitched 23 to established Telugu actors. While some did not respond, others expressed interest but were tied up with ongoing projects. Rather than wait indefinitely, Raj chose to cast newcomers. “I wanted to make the film while I had the momentum rather than delay it for well-known actors,” he explains. The film features over 30 characters, with the protagonist’s journey unfolding over 12 years. Currently in post-production, 23 is set for release soon, with an official date to be announced.
Raj R
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Special Arrangement
As he prepares to bring the film to audiences, Raj reflects on his unconventional filmmaking journey. A freelance software programmer based in Dallas, US, he takes short sabbaticals to make films in India. “I am not a compulsive filmmaker,” he admits. “I make films only when I feel an undeniable urge to tell a story.”
Like most indie filmmakers, his path has been anything but easy. “I earn in the US and spend — or rather, lose — most of my savings making films here,” he says with a laugh. While Mallesham received critical acclaim, it didn’t generate significant profits. His Hindi drama 8 A.M Metro faced challenges securing theatrical and OTT releases but eventually found its audience through a limited run on Zee5 and later on YouTube. “Gulshan Devaiah (the lead actor) still gets warm messages from people who connected with the film. Over time, we’ve seen audiences relate deeply to its characters,” Raj shares.
Accidental filmmaker
Raj R on the sets of ‘23’
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Special Arrangement
At one point, Raj stepped into production with the Malayalam film Paka (River of Blood) to support Mallesham’s sound designer, Nithin Lukose, who was eager to write and direct. Ironically, Raj never intended to be a producer. “I don’t have that skill set. I can’t think like a businessman,” he admits. In fact, he would have been content simply writing stories and screenplays for others to direct and produce.
However, after writing Mallesham, he found himself too emotionally invested to hand it over to someone else. When established production houses hesitated to back the project, citing its limited commercial appeal, Raj took matters into his own hands. “I became an accidental director and producer,” he says. The same pattern followed for his subsequent films. All his projects have been made within a modest budget of ₹3-5 crore, funded through his savings and support from friends and family.
Raj never dreamed of being part of the film industry. Growing up, he was profoundly influenced by Mani Ratnam’s films. “He changed the way we looked at cinema in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with each of his films surpassing the last,” he recalls. In the late ‘90s, watching Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful left a lasting impression — he was awed by how a tragic narrative could be infused with comedy. His exposure to world cinema continued, but he never considered entering filmmaking until a friend’s idea nudged him into writing.
Learning the ropes
Raj moved to the US in 1999 after earning an engineering degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad. By 2000, while working in the San Francisco Bay Area, he had the opportunity to be a production assistant on a short film and later worked with Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj. “I subconsciously picked up how he explains a scene to an actor and how he stages a shot,” he recalls.
His first attempt at directing came in 2006 with a Tamil film he prefers not to name. Disheartened by the experience, he nearly gave up on writing and directing altogether — until he stumbled upon a TED Talk about Chintakindi Mallesham and his revolutionary ‘asu’ yarn processing device for Pochampally weavers. Mallesham’s persistence, despite repeated setbacks, resonated deeply with Raj and reignited his passion for filmmaking.
Looking back, Raj takes pride in his journey. “Completing a film is an achievement in itself. If it turns out as envisioned and connects with its intended audience, that’s worth celebrating,” he says. 23 has also been dubbed in Tamil and Hindi, and Raj remains optimistic about its reach. “We just have to find the right audience.”
Published – March 06, 2025 02:15 pm IST
