Desperately Seeking Seeta

More often than not,Chandra Pemmaraju finds himself answering the same question — why would an MBA in finance quit a job in Times Square to make a movie? “For the love of movies. Also romance and comedy are the two ingredients that everyone loves,” Pemmaraju is quick to mention. Little surprise then that his first feature film Love,Lies & Seeta is a new generation “hipster romantic comedy-musical” set in a New York summer,and revolves around three guys smitten by Seeta — a girl who doesn’t believe in the idea of love.

As opposed to Pemmaraju’s previous two films — May Beetle,a romance set against the backdrop of terrorism,and Kissing Miss Jones,a Woody Allen-esque romantic comedy,this one seems like a fun film. “Romantic comedies are universally accepted and my first feature is a Bollywood romance done in an American independent film way,” says the film writer,producer and director based out of New York,about the film that will release on May 4.

Although he is living the American dream,making the film was not an easy task. It took two years to get it together. Funded by about 25 investors — starting with Pemmaraju’s family,friends and film enthusiasts — the film began on a paltry 20 per cent of the estimated budget. “I raised funds all along,working part-time. I even walked dogs,” he says. Shot in more than 50 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn in 28 days,it comprises an ensemble cast of Indian-American and American actors.

Love,Lies & Seeta has already made its presence felt at various film festivals including Independent Film Makers Showcase LA 2012,India International Film Festival 2012,Tampa Bay and the NFDC Film Bazaar- IFFI in Goa 2011.