Hi there!

I am Riya, a recent graduate from the MFA Graduate Film program at the Tisch School of the Arts, NYU, with a background in Physics and Psychology in undergrad (also at NYU). Born and brought up in India, I’ve been living in Brooklyn, NY since 2012. I am a writer, director, producer, and sound mixer.

I am interested in creating sci-fiction dystopian worlds in films with a capacity for civic engagement.

I enjoy being behind the camera, invisible, and I’m not a fan of talking about myself but let’s get this over with.

Previously, I have assisted award-winning directors like Anurag Kashyap (Raman Raghav 2.0 – Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2016), Nandita Das (Manto – Cannes Un Certain Regard 2018), and Oscar-nominated director Ashvin Kumar (No Fathers in Kashmir). My music video, Yeh Duniya, premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival in 2014.

Even though I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker at the age of 14, I pursued Physics and Psychology for my undergraduate education because I believe that it is impossible to tell stories without a holistic view of the world and humanity. With a penchant for understanding the inner-workings of societies and cultures, I worked closely with Nandita Das during the pre-production of Manto, where I extensively explored his texts and consulted renowned scholars who have studied his life and work. That resulted in a comprehensive character bible which enhanced the visual language of the script and film. I also worked closely with Ashvin Kumar as his Director’s Assistant, proposing and editing story outlines.

Since 2021, I have specialized in location sound mixing and crewed in over twenty films internationally and all across the country, including In Passing which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2023, and Let which premiered at SXSW 2024. I have been involved with films of all genres – from spaghetti westerns and vampire horrors, to romantic comedies and noirs. In creating decks for my films, I have used this experience to further enhance my aesthetic and visual style to serve the purpose of marketing tools. I enjoy studying style trends and understand the power of external influences in the inner workings of the human mind. I like to indulge in the tying together of media and psychology, and the use of style to evoke desired responses.

While I am currently in post-production with my latest short film, If You Show Me Yours I’ll Show You Mine, starring Sway Bhatia (Succession) and Aryan Simhadri (Percy Jackson), I am exploring the world of the notorious lobster diving community of Nicaragua for my first feature. Concurrently, I’m exploring the underworld of Bombay for the next feature, while also working as an Associate Producer on feature film Wager$ (BSway Productions), which is currently in development.

I’ll find any excuse to scuba dive and some of my favorite animals are snakes, sharks, orcas, and monkeys.

Thank you for taking the time to read and please feel free to get in touch.

ABOUT ME

WORK

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Hi there!