Performing Arts Professional
Yateen Dayaram hails from the scenic South Coast region of KwaZulu-Natal. From a young age, he harboured a deep passion for storytelling—whether it was writing short stories in the back of his school books, attempting to draw his own comic books of UFOs landing in his garden, or directing mock epics with his Spider-Man and X-Men action figures.
Storytelling hasalways been for Yateen, a form of play and creative entertainment. After completing school, Yateen enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Media and Drama &; Performance, followed by an Honours degree.
His early acting career flourished in student theatre festivals spanning multiple genres, as well as departmental productions where he honed his skills in Shakespearean plays and epic Greek tragedies. Driven to expand across various media platforms, Yateen branched into voice acting for various radio dramas at the SABC in Durban, and dabbled in the worlds of advertising, television series “Imbewu”, “Strike Back”, “Snake Park”), and film.
He has performed in diverse theatre productions both nationally and internationally, ranging from children’s theatre and historical dramas to contemporary dance productions and a stint in Musical Drama such as “The Sound of Music”.
Yateen has always maintained an interest in independent art forms and grassroots cinema. This journey took off while performing in indie films in Johannesburg. Upon returning to Durban, he collaborated extensively with his close friend and colleague, Dayakar. Together, they co-founded Hot Glass Films and performed in several acclaimed projects, including the SAFTA-nominated “Shadow”, the 48-Hour Film Project winner “Room 33” (which earned Yateen a Best Actor award), the much acclaimed short film “Saloon” (which he co-directed), and co-created the experimental online web series “Catch Up”.
Beyond acting and directing, Yateen also loves writing. His favourite genres are Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. He is an avid gamer whose bucket-list, career dream is to deliver a motion-capture performance and become a video game character. A true geek at heart, he loves animation, graphic novels, and collecting Star Wars and gaming figurines.
Working as an independent filmmaker outside the machinery of traditional funding bodies is an exercise in pure creative resilience. In this "guerilla" space, low budgets are not a limitation, but a catalyst for innovation. The primary pro of this path is absolute creative sovereignty; there is no "committee" to dilute your vision or stall your production in development hell. You have the freedom to take risks that mainstream studios won't. However, the con is the relentless weight of financial risk and the "wearer of all hats" burnout that comes from managing everything from logistics to post-production yourself. The modern indie strategy centers on IP development. By treating short films or micro-budget features as Proof of Concepts (POCs), you create a tangible shop window for your storytelling capabilities. Building a diverse catalogue doesn't just showcase technical skill—it establishes a brand and proves you can deliver high production value regardless of the price tag. This portfolio becomes your most persuasive calling card, transforming you from an aspiring creator into a proven filmmaker with a library of assets ready for acquisition or expansion. It is about building a legacy, one frame at a time.
