Actors crossing over from medicine are nothing new, but Dr. Ravikiran Gadalay is scripting a different kind of career switch. A practising MD and pathologist with a solid standing in his field, he is now stepping behind the camera to helm his first feature film, a psychological thriller called The Maze, headlined by Sriram (Srikanth).
Before this leap, Ravikiran had already tested his instincts as a storyteller with The Wrong Swipe, a short film shot entirely on a smartphone. That experiment became his crash course in cinema, teaching him the basics of framing, performance, pacing and editing without any formal industry backing. Speaking to the press on his birthday, the director-doctor opened up about the road that led him here, a road that mirrors the disorienting, twist-laden world of the film he has now created. Priyanka, Hrithika Srinivas, and Kamal Kamaraju will be seen in key roles.
A Director Without a Rulebook
"I have never assisted anyone, and my exposure to the industry before this was minimal," Ravikiran admitted. "But filmmaking has been a childhood dream. I studied countless films, broke them down, and shot my own using just a phone. That's how I picked up the grammar of cinema." He credits his editing background for letting him pre-visualise scenes, which simplified the actual direction. Kurosawa, Selvaraghavan of 7/G Brindavan Colony fame and Sandeep Reddy Vanga remain his biggest influences.
The Maze is currently on floors. True to its maker's disciplined yet unconventional entry into cinema, the team promises a story that blurs reality and illusion.
Crew details:
The movie is being produced by Dr. Uday K. Reddy Palvai, Dr. KSR, Dr. Bharat Reddy Gopu, and Dr. Anirudh Reddy Soma. It is presented by Dr. Naimish Reddy Kasireddy under Shrausha Kamala Arts and UR Creations. Shravan Bharadwaj is the music director. Shiva Krishna handles the cinematography while Satya Giduturi serves as the editor. Raju Addala is in charge of art direction.
