Priya Belliappa

Priya Belliappa is an Indian film director and screenwriter. She made her debut as a director with Ring Road in 2015. It was the first film to be made by an all women crew. She went to school at Lawrence School, Lovedale and did her graduation from Srishti, School of Art Design and Technology. She then worked as an art consultant in Phoenix O&M in Sri Lanka. After that she joined the Film and Television Institute of India where she did her post graduation in Film Direction. Her second year student film Closer won the national award in the Sound Design category designed by fellow student Anmol Bhave. Her final year diploma film Hazy Grey Skies featuring actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role premiered at the Karlovy Vary, Fresh Film Festival in Prague and travelled to many festivals after. After working in Mumbai and assisting directors Sunhil Sippy and Ram Madhvani on a couple of advertising films she worked as an associate director for the critically acclaimed Kannada Film Mathe Banni Preethsona directed by Ravindra H.P Das. Ring Road was the first feature length film she directed. Being noteworthy as it was the first film that was helmed by an all women crew - the effort was also recognised by the UNESCO in their book on gender equality, heritage and creativity.