Sreejith Nair’s’Rajasaur’ Brings India’s Dinosaur Story To California Museum

India-West News Desk

CLAREMONT, CA – The award-winning short film ‘Rajasaur’, billed as the first narrative film to feature dinosaurs from India, received an enthusiastic response during a July 15 screening at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, where paleontologists, museum officials, board members and visitors gathered to watch the film.

The screening, held as part of the museum’s public programming, was introduced by Gabriel Phillip-Santos, Director of Visitor Engagement and Education at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. Museum director Andrew Farke was among those in attendance.

Audience members praised the film for bringing an Indian dinosaur to the screen, noting that dinosaurs discovered in India have rarely been featured in film or television. Many also appreciated its blend of paleontology and Indian mythology, describing it as a fresh take on dinosaur storytelling.

During a post-screening question-and-answer session, filmmaker Sreejith Nair called ‘Rajasaur’ “just the beginning” of what he hopes will become more dinosaur stories inspired by India and other underrepresented regions. He said he hopes the project will encourage filmmakers to explore prehistoric narratives beyond the settings most often seen in the genre.

Nair told the audience that his fascination with films such as ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Dinosaur’ and ‘King Kong’ sparked his ambition to make a dinosaur film rooted in India. The project took shape after he read Vaishali Shroff’s children’s book ‘The Adventures of Padma and a Blue Dinosaur’ and invited the author to co-write the screenplay. The film was eventually made during the COVID-19 pandemic with a small crew.

He also shared the effort that went into recreating the Rajasaurus, saying he spent nearly a year working with visual effects artists while consulting Shroff and paleontologists, including Rajasaurus researchers Suresh Srivastava and Paul Sereno, to ensure the dinosaur’s on-screen appearance was scientifically accurate.

Directed, produced and co-written by Nair, with Shroff as co-writer, ‘Rajasaur’ blends science, history and cinematic storytelling while highlighting India’s often-overlooked paleontological heritage. Following its award-winning festival run, Nair said he plans to continue screening the film at museums and fossil laboratories as he works toward developing a feature-length film centered on Indian dinosaurs.