Roopa Rao’s film Gantumoote, starring Prakash Belawadi’s daughter, Teju, is currently doing the rounds of film festivals. The film, which recently premiered at New York Indian Film Festival, won the Best Screenplay award, has now made an entry into Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards 2019.

Teju, who played Prakash Raj’s daughter in Idolle Ramayana, will be seen in a full-fledged role in Gantumoote. With Nischith Korodi as the hero, the film also stars Bhargav Raju, Surya Vasista, Sharath Gowda, and SriRanga. 

Gantumoote, a coming-of-age high school drama, set in 1990s Bengaluru, is said to be a relatable story of a 16-year-old girl, which talks about her struggles with understanding herself, and the issues of educational pressures, bullying, competitive environment and transcending the journey of first love. 

Roopa, who quit her IT job to pursue her passion, has directed and co-directed many short films and documentaries. She won an award at the New York Web Fest 2016 for her web-series, The Other Love Story.

Gantumoote, funded by Ameyukti Studios, is her first feature film.