Indian filmmaker Rohit Relan reflects on his global journey, with award-winning films like Bathroom Mein Baarish, Binge! and Patakha winning acclaim.
Rohit Relan
In a candid interview with Rohit Relan, the accomplished writer and director behind a series of internationally honored films, the texture of his journey as an Indian filmmaker becomes strikingly clear. Relan’s stories, thoughtfully written and crafted from the director’s chair, continue to transcend the boundaries of language and geography, finding acclaim in the world’s elite festival circuits.
“It is about connecting hearts, whether in Mumbai or Los Angeles, Krakow or Naples,” Relan begins, discussing the immense reception of his work at top international festivals. Among his achievements stands Bathroom Mein Baarish, a short film that he both wrote and directed, an intimate look into the dreams and challenges of a housemaid’s daughter in urban India. “The narrative is local, but its themes of hope and resilience are universal,” Relan explains. His film became a finalist at the USA Film Festival and won the Gold Remi Award at WorldFest Houston, one of America’s longest-running competitions for independent cinema. “Winning at Houston was especially meaningful. It affirmed that Indian stories can truly touch the world.”
Relan’s talent shines equally through his directorial collaboration on Binge!, a genre-defying short film directed with Sam Zhang. “Directing Binge! was about pushing boundaries, not just stylistically but in the way we engaged with contemporary issues,” he says. The film’s selection at the LA Shorts International Film Festival, one of the globe’s most prestigious and Oscar-qualifying events, placed it among works that meet the highest standards of short-form cinema. LA Shorts has a long legacy of hosting directors who have gone on to shape global filmmaking. Further screenings at the Hawaii International Film Festival, Sweden’s Uppsala Short Film Festival, and London’s Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival solidified Relan’s reputation for versatility and international relevance.
On the global stage, Relan’s creative vision as a director also powered Patakha to festival runs that speak of true cinematic achievement. The film was selected for the Giffoni Film Festival in Italy, the world’s most prestigious festival dedicated to young audiences. Giffoni’s unique jury of thousands of youth from over thirty countries, alongside a guest list that has included some of cinema’s biggest names, makes it a transformative cultural platform. “The energy at Giffoni is different. The audience is young, engaged, and open. They are the future of cinema,” Relan notes.
Patakha expanded its reach at Dances With Films in Los Angeles, the Kinolub in Poland, and is confirmed for AFI Fest in Los Angeles in 2025, an established Oscar-qualifying event that serves as a vital launchpad for films that go on to awards season glory. “With Patakha, I wanted to tell a story that could move a child in Italy as much as it could someone in Mumbai,” Relan says. “That universality is what excites me as a filmmaker.”
For Relan, writing and directing is as much about cultural exchange as artistic expression. His scripts capture precise human moments, sometimes intimate and sometimes confrontational, and his direction builds a cinematic world that allows those moments to breathe. That sensibility, nurtured in India and tested internationally, has made him one of the country’s foremost voices on the world stage.
“We are at a turning point for Indian cinema,” Relan says in closing. “The world is no longer asking if it can understand us. It is asking what we will say next. And as a writer and director, I feel both the pressure and the privilege to answer.”
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