Photo by Simcha Moyal

A Note From Rashmi Rustagi,  Actor/Writer/Producer

I grew up in Lucknow, India, immersed in storytelling from childhood, beginning with radio dramas and stage plays. That early love of narrative eventually led me to film and television, with roles in The Avengers, Grey’s Anatomy, Never Have I Ever, India Sweets and Spices, and more.

My journey into writing and producing has been driven by a desire to create stories that inspire social change. My short film Unborn, an exploration of female feticide in Indian American communities, was that first step; it is currently available on Amazon Prime.

But the story I most needed to tell was closer to home. Designed by Preeti was born from the real experiences of friends and a close relative who survived domestic violence. Having spent most of my adult life navigating both American and Indian cultures, I understood the particular silence that surrounds abuse in upper-middle-class South Asian communities: the disbelief, the judgment, the pressure to stay.

This film is for every woman who has lived that silence, and for every woman who found the courage to break it.

Director’s Statement by Gayatri Everitt Bajpai

Designed by Preeti explores the gilded cage of its protagonist’s life; wealth and comfort conceal a darker truth. Preeti harbors a quiet resilience beneath her outward compliance, and the film’s visual language tracks her transformation from confinement to liberation.

Through tight frames and muted shadows that gradually give way to warmth, movement, and color, we chart not just a woman’s escape from abuse but her discovery of herself. This is a story of self-expression, courage, and the transformative power of choosing your own life.