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Ben Rekhi films father Kanwal Rekhi’s Silicon Valley journey
The film 'Breaking the Code,' is set for a world premiere at the opening night gala of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
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Ishani Duttagupta - Fri, 10, Apr 2026
- 03:55 EDT
- 24
Ben Rekhi and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Kanwal Rekhi / Ishani Duttagupta
Film director, producer, and scriptwriter Ben Rekhi has directed a documentary film based on his father, iconic Silicon Valley entrepreneur Kanwal Rekhi. Earlier this year, the elder Rekhi, who was the first Indian American to take a venture-backed company public on the Nasdaq, toured India to promote his autobiography, 'The Ground Breaker.' His son also accompanied him on the tour.
And now the film, 'Breaking the Code,' is set for a world premiere at the opening night gala of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and will later premiere at other film festivals across the U.S., including the CAAM Film Festival in San Francisco and then the New York Indian Film Festival.
ALSO READ: Filmmaker Ben Rekhi has picked up entrepreneurial tips
Kanwal Rekhi has been interviewed countless times, but his latest project felt different. “Ben did not go easy on me!” Rekhi posted online. “His questions forced a level of raw honesty that I think people will really feel.”
The veteran entrepreneur praised Ben not just as a son, but as a seasoned professional. Having directed stars like Melissa Leo and Kal Penn, Ben brought a cinematic rigor to this deeply personal narrative. However, the film is more than a professional milestone; it is a tribute. Following the passing of Kanwal’s wife, Ann, during production, the documentary evolved into a chronicle of grief. “We lost Ann during filming,” Rekhi shared, “and our journey through that loss is captured forever in this story.”
Ben Rekhi, who in a recent interview had said that he has received valuable advice from Kanwal on looking at filmmaking as entrepreneurship, turns inward to trace the life of his father from a modest childhood in newly independent India to his rise in Silicon Valley, in 'Breaking the Code.'
Set to premiere at IFFLA on April 23, the 81-minute film blends archival footage with intimate glimpses of present-day life. The film unveils the story of an immigrant shaped by perseverance, risk, and an unwavering belief in himself. A pioneer of the early internet, a devoted husband, a doting grandfather, and a mentor to countless young innovators, the many facets of Rekhi are unveiled through the eyes of his son.
Warm, reflective, and deeply personal, the film is both a portrait of a father and a meditation on the immigrant experience in America. In revisiting his father’s past, Rekhi crafts a tender exploration of migration, love, memory, and the dreams that travel across oceans.
Ben, who has worked in different genres of filmmaking, after getting his start with the Coen Brothers in the camera department of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou,' produced the Spirit Award-nominated 'Bomb the System,' directed the SXSW Audience Award winner 'Waterborne,' and wrote dialogues for Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley in 'Teen Patti.' He also directed 'Watch List,' a Philippines-set crime thriller, and 'The Reunited States,' executive produced by Van Jones. He is currently in post-production on the adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s 'Last Man in Tower,' starring Manoj Bajpayee and Boman Irani.
Swetlana, the co-director of 'Breaking the Code,' is a screenwriter, director, and award-winning journalist dedicated to exploring gender, migration, and coming-of-age narratives. The producers are Shubhika Sharma, Aishwarya Sonar, and Triparna Banerjee.
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