| Rohit and Sasi | |
| Birth Date: | Rohit Penumatsa 1988 9, df=yes Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Camp Sasi 1976 3, df=yes Naoroji Camp, Telangana |
| Alma Mater: | Loyola College, Chennai (Rohit Penumatsa) TGLV, Polytechnic, Adoni. (Camp Sasi) |
| Years Active: | 2011–present |
Rohit and Sasi[1] (stylized as Rohit & Sasi) are Indian independent filmmakers known for the web series Story Discussion and Nirudyoga Natulu through their production house, Avanti Cinema, praised for unique storytelling, innovative filmmaking, and a dedication to non-mainstream narratives.[2] They are also known for their film Sheeshmahal which was first shot in 2013, was released on 14 February 2024.[3]
Since 2011, all films scripted, or directed by Rohit and Sasi fell under the banner of Avanti Chitranaalayam until 2021 when they formally established themselves as Avanti Cinema.[4] [5]
Rohit and Sasi's first notable collaboration was on the film Sheeshmahal, which was shot in 2013 and had a delayed release on 14 February 2024. Rohit served as the films screenplay-editor, with Vivek Sagar as the music director, Gnana Shekar V. S. as the director of photography, and Rahul Ramakrishna as the lead actor. The film was shot at the 13th International Children's Film Festival India in Hyderabad. The film also was screened at many events.[6] [7] The film had a limited released at Prasads Multiplex and an OTT release on ETVWIN.[8]
In 2016, paying homage to Jafar Panahi's Taxi Tehran, Rohit and Sasi presented A Love Letter to Cinema. Produced by Anil AKC, the film premiered on YouTube on 18 September 2016, featuring Vivek Sagar's return as the music director.
Teaming up with Tamada Media and Karthik Kult Kreations, Rohit and Sasi ventured into the web series domain with Story Discussion in 2017. The series' success led Mic TV to commission them for Nirudyoga Natulu, released on YouTube from 28 April 2018, to 24 June 2018. After the success of Nirudyoga Natulu, Anvesh Michael[9] and Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari[10] went on to fulfill the prophecy of the characters of aspiring actors they played, as Anvesh became a lead in Aha's Kotha Poradu,[11] and Jagadeesh eventually landed a supporting role in Sukumar's .[12]
Later in 2018, the duo unveiled Ajeeb Dastan, a 35-minute short film serving as a spin-off centered on the character Harsha the Writer from the Story Discussion series. At the Ajeeb Dastan screening, Rohit & Sasi presented a pitch trailer for the "Season 2 of Story Discussion" as part of a crowdfunding campaign.[13]
Double Engine, released on 5 January 2024, represents a significant shift for Rohit Penumatsa and Sasi Camp as they venture into the realm of theatrical filmmaking. Produced under Waltair Productions by Siddharth Rallapalli and Vishwadev Rachakonda, known for their successful film Pareshan, this mass commercial project departs from the duo's previous web-based productions. The film, featuring Vivek Sagar's musical compositions, unfolds against the rustic backdrop of Telangana.[14]
| Year | Title | width=65 | Directors | width=65 | Actor | width=65 | Editor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Marijuana In Smaller Towns (M.I.S.T) | ||||||||
| 2018 | Ajeeb Dastan | Mohan Kumar | |||||||
| 2021 | Gadavani Kaalam | ||||||||
| The Scene | Director | ||||||||
| Beer Fiction | |||||||||
| Akrama Sambandham | |||||||||
| 2022 | Etthulu | Debter | Co-written and co-directed by Divya | ||||||
| 2023 | The Scene: Take Two | ||||||||
| 2023 | Rights | Raju | |||||||
| Year | Title | width=65 | Directors | width=65 | Writers | width=65 | Actor | width=65 | Editor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | A Love Letter to Cinema | Driver | |||||||||
| 2017 | Ranganaayaki | Mohan Kumar | |||||||||
| 2021 | Pickpocket | Cameo | |||||||||
| 2024 | Double Engine | Farmhouse owner | Cameo[15] Sasi as lyricist | ||||||||
| Sheeshmahal | Cameramen | Multilingual film | |||||||||
| TBD | Chivaraku Migiledhi | Post production | |||||||||
| Madhu Babu | Filming | ||||||||||
| 3GT — Gopi Galla Goa Trip | Cameo appearance; post production | ||||||||||
| A Love Letter to Theatre | |||||||||||
| Year | Title | Directors | Writers | Actor | Editor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-2022 | Story Discussion | Rohit as cameo appearance Sasi as Mohan Kumar, Prakash Chowdary | Sasi as lyricist | ||||
| 2018 | Nirudyoga Natulu | Rahul Karun | |||||
| 2020 | Kotha Poradu | Production Head | Sasi as lyricist | ||||
| Collaborator | Role | M.I.S.T | Sheeshmahal | A Love Letter to Cinema | Story Discussion | Nirudyoga Natulu | Ranganaayaki | Ajeeb Dastan | Pickpocket | Etthulu | Akrama Sambandham | The Scene | Madhu Babu | Double Engine | Chivaraku Migiledhi | Gopi Galla Goa Trip (#3GT) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gnana Shekar V. S. | Cinematographer | ||||||||||||||||
| Vivek Sagar | Music Director | ||||||||||||||||
| Gayathri Gupta | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| John Kottoly | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| Laxman Meesala | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| Rahul Ramakrishna | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| Bharat Vyas N | Cinematographer | ||||||||||||||||
| Anvesh Michael | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari | Actor | [16] | (Singer) | ||||||||||||||
| Raj Tirandasu | Actor | ||||||||||||||||
| Teja ASGK | Sound Design | ||||||||||||||||
| Jubin Raj | Sound Design | ||||||||||||||||
| Snehal Jangala | Producer | ||||||||||||||||
| Sanal George | Sound Design | ||||||||||||||||
| Divya Bandaru | Actor, Director | (director) | (director) | ||||||||||||||
| Shashank Raghavula | Cinematographer | ||||||||||||||||
| Ramana Reddy | Producer | ||||||||||||||||
| Smaran | Music Director | ||||||||||||||||
| Ravi Nidamarthy | Music Director |