In Breaking the Code, Ben Rekhi turns inward to trace the life of his father, Kanwal Rekhi, from a modest childhood in newly independent India to his rise in Silicon Valley. Blending 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, we witness the many facets of Rekhi 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 with us across oceans.
Ben Rekhi
After getting his start with the Coen Brothers in the camera department of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Ben 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 The Ashram, starring Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Kal Penn, and Radhika Apte; Watch List, a Philippines-set crime thriller; and The Reunited States, executive produced by Van Jones. Ben is currently in post-production on the adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s Last Man In Tower, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Boman Irani.
Swetlana
Swetlana is a screenwriter, director, and award-winning journalist dedicated to exploring gender, migration and coming-of-age narratives. She has made films for Oxfam and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and written web-series for Discovery Plus and Amazon Prime. Money Mafia (Season 3) – a docuseries she co-wrote, earned a nomination at the Content South Asian Awards 2023. Her reportage has appeared in VICE, Feminism in India, and South Asian Today. She is also the founder of Grit News, a collective dedicated to independent journalism. A coming-of-age Netflix India show that she’s worked in the writers room of is slated for a 2027 release.
