Roopa Rao facts for kids

Roopa Rao (born May 18) is an independent filmmaker from Bangalore, India. She is known for writing and directing The Other Love Story (2016). This was India's first web series about a special bond between two young women. Rao also directed the award-winning Kannada film Gantumoote (2019).

Roopa Rao's Early Life and Education

Roopa Rao first studied for a Masters in Commerce. She specialized in Personnel Management. She also started a Masters in Finance but did not finish it. For six years, she worked at a company called Infosys.

However, she always wanted to make movies. So, she left her job to study filmmaking. She took a course in film direction and production. This was at the Asian Academy of Film & Television in Delhi. After that, she moved to London, UK. There, she helped a documentary filmmaker.

Roopa Rao's Filmmaking Career

After her time in London, Roopa Rao came back to India. She started making documentaries and short films. This helped her improve her skills. She also helped direct two feature films. These were Vishnuvardhana (a Kannada film) and Kurai Ondrum Illai (a Tamil film).

Creating The Other Love Story

Roopa Rao had a story in her heart since she was a teenager. It was about two young women forming a deep connection. She wrote it during her college days. But she never thought she could make it into a film. This was because the story was quite new and different for India.

In 2015, she decided to work on this story herself. It was hard to find people to produce the project. This was because of the story's unique theme. So, she used a platform called Wishberry. This platform helps people raise money from many small donations. She successfully raised about 4 lakh Indian Rupees.

The Other Love Story began airing on August 27, 2016. The first season had 12 episodes. The story is set in Bangalore in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It stars Spoorthi Gumaste and Shweta Gupta. The series explores the journey of two young women as they grow up and discover their feelings.

Awards for The Other Love Story

Roopa Rao won the "Best Director" award at the NYC Web Fest in 2016. She also won "Best Story" at the TO Web Fest in 2017. The Other Love Story received a total of 3 awards. It also had 7 nominations from different film festivals around the world.

Other Projects and Gantumoote

After The Other Love Story, Roopa Rao wrote and directed BFF (Breath Friend Forever) in 2017. This short film is about a 7-year-old child. The child learns about trees in class. Then, they try to understand why trees are important. The film was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It was also screened in the Kids Section at Ireland's National Film Body.

In 2018, Roopa Rao acted in a short travel film called Love Leh'tter. Surya Vasishta wrote and directed this film. Also in 2018, Rao co-founded Ameyukti Studios. This is an independent film production company she started with a friend.

In 2019, Roopa Rao's first full-length movie, Gantumoote, was shown for the first time. This happened at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). The film won the "Best Screenplay" award there. Gantumoote is a powerful story about growing up. It is set in a high school in Bangalore in the 1990s. It tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl. She learns that real life is different from what she sees in movies.

On July 26, 2024, a Kannada feature film called Kenda (Ember) was released. Roopa Rao produced this movie with her long-time colleague, Sahadev Kelvadi. They produced it under their company, Ameyukti Studios. Kelvadi wrote and directed the film. This was Rao's third project as a producer for Ameyukti Studios.

In January 2025, Roopa Rao's short feature film Asmin is planned for release. It will be available on her YouTube Channel. This film has already won awards at the Indo French International Festival.

Roopa Rao's Filmography

Roopa Rao has worked on many films and web series. Here are some of her key projects:

• 2009: Let Live – A short documentary where she was director, writer, and editor.
• 2011: Hot Seat – A Kannada short film she directed and wrote.
• 2016: The Other Love Story – A web series she directed, wrote, and produced.
• 2017: BFF (Breath Friend Forever) – A short film she directed, wrote, and produced.
• 2019: Gantumoote – Her first full-length feature film, where she was director, writer, and producer.
• 2024: Kenda – A feature film she produced.
• 2024: Asmin – A mini-feature film she directed, wrote, and produced.

She also worked as an associated director for:

• Vishnuvardhana (2011, Kannada film)
• Kurai Ondrum Illai (2013, Tamil film)

Awards and Recognition

Roopa Rao has received several awards for her work:

• 2016: Won "Best Direction" at the New York Web Fest for The Other Love Story.
• 2017: Won "Best LGBTQ Story" at the TO Web Fest for The Other Love Story.
• 2017: Won "Best International Web Series" at the Boston LGBTQ Film Festival for The Other Love Story.
• 2019: Won "Best Screenplay" at the New York Indian Film Festival for Gantumoote.
• 2023: Won "Best Indian Short Film" at the Indo French International Film Festival for Asmin.
• 2023: Won "Best Director Critics Choice" at the Indo French International Film Festival for Asmin.

She has also received many nominations for her films, including for Best Director, Best Film, and Best Writing.

See also

• List of female film and television directors