Don’t Sleep: Successful Cinematographer Turns Director

Article by Satya Published on: 10:38 pm, 5 April 2026

Shamdat, the cinematographer behind successful films such as Uppena, Virupaksha, the MAD series, and Thandel, and the director of the Malayalam film Street Lights starring superstar Mammootty, is now making his Telugu directorial debut with a distinct psychological thriller. The film features Chaurya Paatham fame Indhra Raam in the lead and is produced by V Chudamani under the V Dream Films banner.

Vijay Sethupathi unveiled the film’s title and first look today. Don’t Sleep is the title, and the eerie first-look poster shows Indhra Raam with closed eyes and a bandaged forehead. In the background, Ravindra Vijay is seen chasing him across snowy terrain, hinting at deep psychological conflict. The longer you sleep, the closer he gets, is the tagline.

With production designers Monika–Ramakrishna of Pushpa: The Rise fame, composer Gokul Harshan, award-winning editor Manoj, and writers Sajeer–Luna, known for RDX and I’m Game, Don’t Sleep promises strong technical finesse.

The film is gearing up for its theatrical release.

Tags

❮
❯
X