HomeEntertainmentRegionalSuriya and Jyotika’s daughter Diya enters cinema as director with Leading Light

Suriya and Jyotika’s daughter Diya enters cinema as director with Leading Light

Diya Suriya makes a powerful directorial debut with Leading Light, a docu-drama spotlighting the untold stories of Bollywood’s women gaffers. Blending realism with storytelling, she brings visibility to a world often left in the shadows.

September 26, 2025 / 23:51 IST
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Suriya and Jyothika's daughter Diya makes directorial debut
Suriya and Jyothika's daughter Diya makes directorial debut

Diya Suriya, the daughter of Tamil film legends Suriya and Jyotika, has made a deliberate and significant foray into the film industry, following in the footsteps of her well-known parents.

However, Diya has decided to leave her mark behind the camera rather than in front of it. The brief documentary-drama Leading Light, her directorial debut, highlights a group of women whose stories are rarely told: Bollywood's female gaffers.

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Leading Light, which is produced by the family's own company, 2D Entertainment, examines the lives of women who operate lighting equipment on movie sets behind the scenes. This is a profession that is usually performed by men and is frequently disregarded in popular narratives.

By combining narrative components with documentary realism, Diya elevates their voices and experiences to produce a film that is both intimate and potent.

The movie is showing every day from September 26 to October 2 at the Regency Theatre in Los Angeles, where it is currently enjoying its Oscar Qualifying Run. Critics and viewers have praised the film's original viewpoint and Diya's maturity in her first feature.

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