Designed by Preeti is a romantic drama that follows the journey of Preeti Kumar. Stuck in an abusive arranged marriage, Preeti finally has the courage to leave her husband. 

In order to support herself and her daughter, she does what she knows best: designing and sewing clothes. Will she be able to make ends meet? 

Never having experienced true love, when she is attracted to another man, she has to figure out if it’s real. Can she handle the judgment of her community, or will she return to her abuser?

 

About

I am a first-generation Indian woman who moved to the United States at the age of twenty-one after an arranged marriage. Having lived here for more than thirty-five years, pursuing acting, raising kids, and straddling both the American and Indian cultures, I deeply understand the longings, pulls, and contradictions of both cultures and the challenge of assimilation. After living in several parts of the US and learning stories of other Indian men and women, I wrote Designed By Preeti as an amalgamation of those stories, to provide a unique perspective on the lives of women coping with the intersection of two cultures.

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Director’s Statement

There is opulence to Preeti’s world. A well-to-do husband, expensive jewelry, and lavish parties. But underneath all that beauty, there is rot. Preeti’s husband hurts her. And she has been too afraid to do anything about it because leaving would make her a pariah in her community.

In some ways, this is a coming-of-age Romantic Dramedy about a middle-aged woman finding herself and her true passion. But there is darkness, too. The film will bring elements from the romcom genre, as well as character-driven study.

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Our Team

Robert Campbell
Farida Rafique

Farida Rafique

Impact Producer

Movie Characters

Rashmi Rustagi

Rashmi Rustagi

as Preeti Kumar

Rashmi has been bringing stories to life from a young age starting with radio plays and theater. She continues to act in film and television, including voiceovers. A fluent Hindi, Urdu, and English speaker, Rashmi has joined esteemed casts from both Hollywood and Bollywood. Outside of acting, she is an avid gardener, loves to cook, and writes a popular food blog.

Shivani Rustagi

Shivani Rustagi

as Mallika Kumar

Shivani Rustagi is a performer and singer in Los Angeles. Starting at her local children’s theater and continuing throughout high school, Shivani grew up on stage. She attended UC Santa Cruz where she majored in music and opera, performing lead roles in The Little Prince and Tartuffe. She sang in and competed with the Acappella group, Cloud9, winning an award for choreographyinClaremont, CA. She has performed and collaborated with different artists including singer/songwriter MILCKfor the youtube creators for change program. She recently finished doing the regional production of The Secret Garden in Sacramento, CA. Shivani currently teaches piano and sings with the Silver Lake Chorus.

Impact

Independent film is a change agent for advocacy, empowerment, and community. By creating stories that represent real-world issues and underrepresented narratives, storytelling can illuminate and alleviate at the same time.

“Designed by Preeti” is a film that centers around a South Asian Woman’s own heroic journey of standing up to social stigmas, Domestic Violence, and recognizing her personal strength. The story unfolds through a South Asian immigrant lens but is very universal to any Woman who has triumphantly left a toxic…

Contact Us

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Designed By Preeti is fiscally sponsored by From The Heart Productions

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which is recognized as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
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MahaDevi productions

Rashmi Rustagi | Executive Producer

rashmi.designedbypreeti@gmail.com

310-498-8194

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