Overview

• Rajiv Rai returns to filmmaking with Zora, a suspenseful whodunit he says differs from his 1997 hit Gupt
• The director funded the project entirely with his own equity and shot it on a Rs 2 crore budget using a four-camera setup
• A cast of six to seven first-time actors carries the film, with total performer fees capped at Rs 25 lakh
• Exhibitors and OTT platforms initially balked at backing a newcomer-driven film but Zora secured a theatrical release on August 8
• Rai cites micro-budget Hollywood successes as inspiration for his approach to retain creative control and limit financial risk