Lakshmi Iyer

In this episode of Season 4, we sit down with Lakshmi R Iyer, award-winning filmmaker, CEO of Streetsmart Productions, and Director at Elios Films, whose 15-year journey in cinema began not in a film school but on the ground, assisting, observing, and learning by doing. From a divorce that redirected her life to a solo jog in Dubai where she decided to produce her first film, Lakshmi reflects on the pivotal moments of self-belief that shaped her career, writing and directing Appa, Wrong Mistake, and First Second Chance, building a YouTube channel that organically crossed 100 million views, and investing in films the way others invest in diamonds. The conversation covers what it truly takes to sustain in independent cinema, from casting with conviction and respecting the screenplay process, to learning digital marketing at IIT Bombay and maintaining parallel income streams to protect your dream, while also addressing the impatience of new creators, the myth of virality, and why pre-production is more important than the shoot itself. Grounded in honesty, faith, and a refusal to compromise on story, this episode is a candid reflection on backing yourself when no one else will, and building a body of work that speaks for itself.