We were lucky to catch up with Saketh Ranga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Saketh, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Honestly, I learned filmmaking by just… doing it. No film school. No mentor. Just curiosity.

In 2012, it was just me and my younger brother drawing storyboards on paper. Stick figures, messy arrows, ideas scribbled all over. We had no clue what we were doing, we were just enjoying the process. In 2013, my uncle gave me an old iPod Touch and that basically became my first film school. I filmed anything around me and edited everything using free apps. I did not know anything about lighting or composition. I was just curious.

By 2018, I started taking filmmaking more seriously. I wrote short scripts, convinced my friends to act in them, and shot small projects on my phone. Most of them never got finished. Some were honestly embarrassing. But each attempt taught me something new. In 2019 and 2020, I finally completed two short films, Possibility and Escena Contra. They were not perfect, but I finished them, and that gave me confidence.

In 2021, I moved to the United States with zero connections in the industry. I started attending film meetups, volunteering on student sets, and helping with anything I could just to learn how a proper set operates. Those connections eventually helped me with my own projects. In 2023, I started writing what I thought would be a short film. It turned into a feature called Kismet of Life. In 2024, I found a team that believed in the story and worked purely out of passion. In 2025, we launched a Kickstarter to finish the film but later canceled it. Not because we were discouraged, but because we realized we had a film without an audience.

So now, instead of hiding the process and showing the film only when it is complete, I am sharing the journey from the ground up. Looking back, I wish I had shared sooner. I wish I finished more instead of waiting for the “perfect version.”

The most valuable skills I have learned are resourcefulness (use what I have), finishing what I start, and understanding that story matters more than equipment. My biggest obstacle has always been perfectionism. I used to be afraid to show anything unless it looked flawless. Now I understand people do not connect with perfect work. They connect with honest effort and a real journey.

That is exactly what I am doing now. Starting from zero, documenting everything, and building an audience one step at a time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Saketh Ranga. I make films, I run creative businesses, and I love chasing stories that make people feel something. I didn’t grow up with film school or a network — I just started doing it, experimenting, failing, and finishing projects. That’s how I got into filmmaking, and it’s been a journey of curiosity, persistence, and learning by doing.

Right now, I have a few things I work on professionally:

Filmmaking: My first feature film, Kismet of Life, is in post-production. It’s a story about a woman leaving her stable life to follow a forgotten passion and the unexpected twists she encounters along the way. I’m also constantly creating short films and experimenting with new stories, capturing moments that inspire me.

Pixoditor: This is my photography and videography studio. We help people and businesses capture moments, tell visual stories, and create cinematic content for events, brands, and campaigns.

Our Thunder: This is a platform I built to help businesses and creators build their digital presence. We handle social media, storytelling, and brand strategy. Essentially, we help people share their story and connect with their audience in an authentic way.

What sets me apart is that I bridge creativity and technology. I work full-time as a software developer, which gives me structure and problem-solving skills, but I also bring creativity and storytelling into everything I do. That combination allows me to approach projects in a unique way — whether it’s through a film, a visual campaign, or a digital strategy.

I’m most proud of building everything from scratch — my films, my brands, and my network — without traditional resources. I want people to know that I care deeply about the stories I tell, whether it’s someone’s personal milestone, a brand’s journey, or a film that could resonate with thousands. Everything I do is about connecting people to something meaningful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One story that really shows my resilience is from the making of my first feature, Kismet of Life. In 2024, I had written the script, found a cast and crew who believed in the story, and we were ready to bring it to life. Everyone was working purely out of passion — no one was being paid.

In 2025, we tried running a Kickstarter to help with post-production and distribution, but we had to cancel it. It felt like a huge setback. I had invested so much time, energy, and emotion into the film, and suddenly it felt like all that work might not reach anyone.

Instead of giving up, I shifted my focus. I started sharing the journey publicly, building a community around the film, and connecting with people who genuinely cared about the story. Now we’re planning to release Kismet of Life between February and March 2026.

That experience taught me that resilience isn’t just about pushing through tough days on set. It’s about adapting when things don’t go as planned, finding new paths forward, and staying committed to your story even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn was thinking everything has to be perfect before it’s shared. I realized people connect with the story and the effort, not perfection. With Kismet of Life, I focus on finishing, learning, and moving forward — because a finished story always has more impact than a perfect one stuck in your head.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sakethranga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakethranga
• Other: Our Thunder – https://www.ourthunder.com/
  Pixoditor – https://www.pixoditor.com/

Image Credits

Pixoditor Photography & Videography