Los Angeles based Pradeep Katasani, novelist, ï¬lmmaker and a screenplay writer, has carved a niche for himself as a contemporary Telugu American storyteller.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Pradeep’s education in two premier institutions— bachelors in computer science from International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad and masters in television, film and new media from San Diego State University— has laid the foundation for his success.
‘Thrillers are my favorite genre, in fact, my thesis in college was about how to generate suspense in narrative ï¬ction. I am fascinated by movies like The Day of the Jackal, which weaves the narrative around historical events,’ said Katasani. Through his books and movies, Katasani aims to tell stories about people on the fringes of the society and demonstrate his passion for historical ï¬ction.
Leaving behind a lucrative career in computer science, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for ï¬lm making. Since then, he has worked on many productions, including feature ï¬lms-- The Black Prince, Highway 5, Vagator Mixer and Sarabha-- donning many hats such as ï¬rst assistant director, line producer, and post-production supervisor.
Katasani has directed a couple of short ï¬lms which have been very well appreciated and screened at various ï¬lm festivals like Outfest and LAIFFA. He has also been volunteering as the new media producer for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles where he manages all the digital content produced during the festival.
His latest book, ‘Silk Road’ is a gripping thriller set in the world of Indian immigrants. The plot is centered around Kishore, an opportunistic Indian graduate student who runs a drug smuggling ring through the Deep Web, and Durga Rao, a brilliant Indian American DEA agent working around the clock to nail criminals like him.
Katasani expresses that most Telugu people back in India have a rose-tinted view about the lives of NRI's in US. At the outset, everyone’s story appears the same-they are all engineers, they come here to get their master’s degree, get H-B visa and eventually settle down in the suburbs. ‘But while living in San Diego, as a student myself, I was surprised by how unique each person's story was and all the issues they faced. So, I wanted to tell a story that puts their lives in a new perspective, and that's how the idea of this story began…â€
It is Katasani’s unique ability to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds that sets him apart. He has brought together a group of Ivy league graduates who have worked as a team to publish ‘SilkRoad’.
There is no question that any art form beneï¬ts by influx of diverse point of views, says Katasani.
The popularity of this gripping novel has now inspired Neon Aliens and Flixeloid, two US based Production companies to co-produce a movie adaptation. They are currently in conversation with Rahul Ramakrishna, a critically acclaimed Indian actor, writer and journalist, to play the role of Kishore.
Silk Road is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle version. Grab a copy today!
Visit www.NeonAliens.com for latest updates and more information about the project.
