Short films often become calling cards for aspiring directors to pitch their scripts to producers. Former journalist Aditya Devulapalli went a step further. He co-wrote and directed a thriller micro drama series that is slowly making movie buffs and the film industry take note. Dhandha (business), the 29-episode Telugu micro drama series streaming on the Chai Shots app, marks Aditya’s debut as a director.

The story explores the underbelly of cybercrime by following an engineering student, played by Dora Sai Teja, who joins a cyber fraud group and climbs in the ranks by raising the stakes of digital financial scams.

Each episode, running a little more than two minutes, shows the transformation of the character and the cybercrime nexus. What sets the microdrama apart is its attention to detail in its storytelling and the production aesthetics that aspires to match a cinematic quality.

How it all began

Aditya’s story is not too different from the many engineering graduates who gravitated towards cinema over the last two decades. “I was good at studies, in fact a topper. But I did not enjoy studying engineering and quit after the first year,” Aditya reminisces. In 2018, he convinced his parents of his decision. All he wanted was a camera. “I used to attend small-scale events and take photographs.” These gigs kept him going, but he had to find a way to enter the film industry.

He considered journalism as a point of entry and enrolled in a mass communication and journalism course at St Mary’s College, Yousufguda, Hyderabad. A professor introduced him to world cinema and it opened up new vistas for Aditya. “I would spend more time watching movies in the lab than attending classes,” he says with a laugh.

His confidence in writing and speaking about cinema grew over time and he also attempted making low-budget short films, one of which opened the doors for film journalism. Aditya worked for nearly two years at The New Indian Express, using the opportunity to network with the film industry.

He met Anurag Reddy and Sharath Chandra of the Chai Bisket team and narrated one of his scripts. “Anurag sir liked my narration but stated that they were not looking at producing a violent film at that point in time. But we kept in touch.”

When Anurag and Sharath launched Chai Shots in late 2025, Aditya joined the team as a creative producer. As he listened to more than 100 stories pitched by aspiring filmmakers, he sensed something amiss. “Most micro drama platforms in India have been exploring similar stories — about a rich man turning poor or vice versa, or extramarital affairs — and the quality of production leaves a lot to be desired. I noticed how viewers who sign in to watch are also brutal in rejecting content that does not engage them.”

The shift

Aditya quit as a creative producer and focused on directing a micro drama. Among the stories he had read, he liked the crime thriller written by Vijay Kumar. “I asked him if I could write another version of his script that would suit the micro drama format and he obliged. I made changes to nearly 40% of the script. Once we locked the script, we pitched it to Anurag and Sharath.”

Aditya reveals that while many micro dramas are produced within a budget of ₹10 to 12 lakh, he was clear that this story would require at least three to four times that budget to give viewers an immersive experience. “Once the Chai Shots team liked my demo film, they were supportive,” he adds.

Cinematographer Ashwin Lenin put forth the idea of using a green and copper-tinged palette inspired by the colours of the rupee notes, while production designer Sanjana ensured that the settings remained gritty to suit the milieu. Rishi M was game to experiment with his music, ranging from Mexican instrumentation to African beats. The editing by Jagdish Goud, says Aditya, was designed to ensure a fast-paced narrative suitable for the vertical format.

The surprise factor comes in when Aditya reveals that Dhandha was filmed in 10 days. Diligent pre-production work and AI-led previsualisation helped. “At the end of each day, we had 12-15 minutes of footage to edit, as against the industry norm of three to five minutes.”

The team

Casting was crucial for the drama to work. Aditya wanted the pivotal characters of the student protagonist and the police officer to be recognisable faces and pointed out the dearth in male actors in the 20 to 25 age category who can pull off tough leading parts. He zeroed in on Dora Sai Teja and was impressed by how he aced a long scene in a single take during the auditions. “He was also curious about the marketing of the show and what viewership we were aiming at. That long-term focus also helped.” And Nithin Prasanna was cast as the cop.

The leading lady Akshara Nalla was cast to fit a character quirk involving a foot fetish. “The lead character is not a regular hero and we did not want to objectify women. His falling in love with someone who had beautiful feet was a nicer way to show the initial stages of romance,” says Aditya.

For the crucial portions of writing the modus operandi of cybercrime, help came from a consultant who had worked with the cybercrime department. Incidents of call merging and how scamsters even pretend to be cybercrime professionals added intrigue to the narrative. Aditya adds, “Throughout the series, we do not show the identity of the victims and instead focus on the crime network.”

Aditya admits that within the framework of the micro drama, the narrative could not showcase the backlash the anti-hero faces for his actions. At least, not yet.

As Dhandha ends on a cliffhanger with the promise of another season, talks are on to explore the possibility of developing this story into a full-fledged feature film or web series. Aditya says, “I am 28, and some of my favourite filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan and David Fincher made their debut at 28 and I feel lucky to have made my first micro drama at the same age.”

(Dhandha streams on Chai Shots app)

Published - August 05, 2026 02:28 pm IST