Raj Nidimoru is currently grabbing headlines for his rumoured relationship with actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, which has been called “baseless” by the actress’s manager. Raj is one half of the celebrated filmmaking duo Raj & DK, known for hits like The Family Man, Farzi, Guns & Gulaabs and Go Goa Gone. But long before the big streaming deals and star-studded series, Raj was just another software engineer with a dream, writing scripts in the hope of getting one made. Back then, he didn’t know a soul in Mumbai’s film circuit. What he did have, though, was persistence—and an unexpected connection in Shark Tank India’s Anupam Mittal.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Raj opened up about the early days of their filmmaking journey. Raj, DK and Sita Menon were new to Mumbai and didn’t know anyone. All they had was their ability to write. He and his friend, Krishna D.K., both engineers, were hoping to break into Indian cinema. Betting on probability, they wrote three full-length scripts: 99, Shor in the City, and Go Goa Gone, hoping at least one would click.
Raj’s first film
Eventually, 99 became their first film. But getting it off the ground was a massive challenge. With no industry links, cold pitching to actors and producers took forever. “People didn’t know who we were. We didn’t even look like we belonged in Mumbai,” Raj admitted. Still, their script got people’s attention. “They said it was fresh and fun—unlike anything they’d read before.”
With no existing film to compare 99 to, convincing someone to back it proved difficult. At that point, a pre-existing friendship turned into a breakthrough opportunity. Anupam Mittal—now famous as a Shark on Shark Tank India and the founder of Shaadi.com—offered to produce the film. He had known Raj and DK from before their filmmaking days, and his support helped get the project off the ground.
But casting the film was yet another hurdle. With no credentials in feature filmmaking, it was tough to convince actors. So they made a smart move: they filmed a short based on a portion of Shor in the City over a weekend. The short was well received, went to film festivals, and became their calling card. That opened doors, and soon, they had an ensemble cast that included Kunal Khemu, Vinod Khanna, Boman Irani, and Cyrus Broacha.
While the film did not see much marketing, except for making it to 10 hoardings in Mumbai, the film ended up filling theatres and was screened for several weeks.
Raj and Samantha's relationship
Recently, Samantha Ruth Prabhu dropped a few photos on Instagram to celebrate the first film which was released under her production. In one of the photos, the actress can be seen posing smilingly along with her The Family Man director Raj. This fueled speculation about their relationship. However, the actress’s manager said that there was no truth in the news and called it a “rumour”.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Raj opened up about the early days of their filmmaking journey. Raj, DK and Sita Menon were new to Mumbai and didn’t know anyone. All they had was their ability to write. He and his friend, Krishna D.K., both engineers, were hoping to break into Indian cinema. Betting on probability, they wrote three full-length scripts: 99, Shor in the City, and Go Goa Gone, hoping at least one would click.
Raj’s first film
Eventually, 99 became their first film. But getting it off the ground was a massive challenge. With no industry links, cold pitching to actors and producers took forever. “People didn’t know who we were. We didn’t even look like we belonged in Mumbai,” Raj admitted. Still, their script got people’s attention. “They said it was fresh and fun—unlike anything they’d read before.”
With no existing film to compare 99 to, convincing someone to back it proved difficult. At that point, a pre-existing friendship turned into a breakthrough opportunity. Anupam Mittal—now famous as a Shark on Shark Tank India and the founder of Shaadi.com—offered to produce the film. He had known Raj and DK from before their filmmaking days, and his support helped get the project off the ground.
But casting the film was yet another hurdle. With no credentials in feature filmmaking, it was tough to convince actors. So they made a smart move: they filmed a short based on a portion of Shor in the City over a weekend. The short was well received, went to film festivals, and became their calling card. That opened doors, and soon, they had an ensemble cast that included Kunal Khemu, Vinod Khanna, Boman Irani, and Cyrus Broacha.
While the film did not see much marketing, except for making it to 10 hoardings in Mumbai, the film ended up filling theatres and was screened for several weeks.
Raj and Samantha's relationship
Recently, Samantha Ruth Prabhu dropped a few photos on Instagram to celebrate the first film which was released under her production. In one of the photos, the actress can be seen posing smilingly along with her The Family Man director Raj. This fueled speculation about their relationship. However, the actress’s manager said that there was no truth in the news and called it a “rumour”.
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