‘Sorry Anand Mahindra Sir’: 27-year-old award-winning Telugu director reveals how he spent his WFH shifts during Tech Mahindra techie job

In 2025, a small-budget Telugu film quietly arrived in theatres and went on to become one of the year's biggest surprise blockbusters. That film was Little Hearts, a coming-of-age romantic comedy written and directed by Sai Marthand. Today, the 27-year-old filmmaker is being celebrated for his successful debut, but before stepping into cinema, he had a very different career. Sai once worked as a Network Engineer at Tech Mahindra in Pune, and his recent social media post about his work-from-home (WFH) days has now caught everyone's attention.

From Tech Mahindra's WFH setup to the director's chair

In an Instagram post shared in April 2026, Sai Marthand looked back at an important milestone in his life. He revealed that it had been exactly three years since he resigned from Tech Mahindra on April 12, 2023.

Sai shared that he worked as a Network Engineer at the company's Pune office between 2021 and 2023. Since it was largely a work-from-home role, he joked that he worked from "everywhere" rather than a fixed location.

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A post shared by Sai Marthand (@saimarthand)

The filmmaker then made a humorous confession about how he spent many of his office hours. In the post, he admitted that instead of focusing entirely on work, he often slept during shifts, spent time with his cousins, watched countless films and even binge-watched interviews of filmmakers. With a touch of humour, he added that he never really worked seriously.

Ending the nostalgic post on a light note, Sai added, " Sorry Anand Mahindra sir. but yeah thank you Tech Mahindra for all the memories ….those days will always be special to me "

Apart from the jokes, Sai also used the post to express gratitude towards the people he worked with. He thanked his team for always supporting him and being patient throughout his time at the company.

His post quickly struck a chord with many social media users, especially young professionals who related to the realities of work-from-home life and admired his honesty about chasing a different dream.

Little Hearts becomes a surprise success

Just two years after leaving his corporate job, Sai Marthand made his directorial debut with Little Hearts. The coming-of-age romantic comedy, starring Mouli Tanuj Prasanth and Shivani Nagaram, exceeded expectations at the box office despite being made on a modest budget.

According to Sacnilk.com, the film collected around Rs 40 crore worldwide, making it one of the most profitable Telugu films of 2025. The movie also earned praise from several members of the Telugu film industry, including Mahesh Babu and Nani, helping Sai establish himself as one of the most promising new directors.

The success did not stop at the box office. Sai Marthand was honoured with the Best Debut Feature Film Director award at the prestigious Telangana Gaddar Film Awards, marking an impressive start to his filmmaking career.

For those who missed the theatrical run, Little Hearts is now available to stream on Netflix.

Sai Marthand's journey from attending WFH shifts at Tech Mahindra to winning a major directing award has become an inspiring example of following one's passion.