'Lavender Fire': 'Jugnuma' director's next is a Mumbai-set Gen-Z drama
What's the story
Acclaimed director Raam Reddy, known for his Locarno-winning debut Thithi (2015) and Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Jugnuma: The Fable, is now working on his third feature film, Lavender Fire. The film is a coming-of-age story set in Mumbai's modeling and influencer scene, reported Variety.
Plot details
'Lavender Fire' to explore lives of Gen-Z siblings
Lavender Fire will follow the lives of three Gen Z siblings in Mumbai. Reddy has cast newcomers from the fashion and creator space for these roles. The narrative will explore their struggles with career pressure and viral visibility and will be "light, contemporary and rooted in lived-in sibling dynamics." Reddy said, "This one is about instinct and immediacy. After this, I'm ready to scale up again, if the right project calls for it."
Filmmaking approach
Reddy returns to his roots for 'Lavender Fire'
Reddy is going back to the method he used in Thithi, where he cast actors first and wrote the script with them. He is developing Lavender Fire with photographer Mourya Dandu and his long-time collaborator Ere Gowda. The film will be produced under Reddy's banner, Prospective Productions, with shooting scheduled for January.
Cultural insight
Reddy's perspective on Gen-Z culture
Reddy sees Lavender Fire as an accessible look at Gen Z urban culture. He said, "As a millennial, it's fascinating for me to look at Gen Z culture... I hope that Gen Z kids have a film that they can call their own, and we can introduce that culture non-judgmentally to non-Gen Z people."