 A Secret Handshake screenplay was first written by producers Sukhi  Pabla and Christopher Hazelett and was titled An Autumn In  Paradise. After years of trying to find funding and to lock in a  big name to the lead role, they had no luck. So they got together  and had writer/director Harsha Gijre write a smaller version of the  screenplay. Something that could be shot under half a million  dollars. And was born A Secret Handshake.