Director James Kicklighter was first informed about the film by production manager Ryan Watterson after the original director of 'Desires of the Heart' had to drop out for medical reasons. After a series of bi-coastal phone conversations in Los Angeles, James flew to Savannah for several days of meetings with producer/executive producer Solila Parida, during which she hired him for the job.
In an interview with The Times of India, producer/executive producer Solila Parida stated that she moved the filming "Desires of the Heart" from its initial 2005 filming location in Orissa, India to Rajasthan, India because of problems with the locals.
The film was first attempted in 2005 under the title "The Woman from Georgia," directed by N. Chandra and Michael Scott Reid, staring Phillip Rhys Chaudhary and Susan May Pratt. After the production collapsed while filming in India, producer/executive producer Solila Parida spent several years reconfiguring the film under its new title, "Desires of the Heart."
About 20 years ago, producer Solila Parida came to India and make Vishkanya (1991). Rajesh K. Rathi was the chief assistant director. Two decades later, she returned to India and hired Rajesh to work in co-ordination with director James Kicklighter and direct all the Indian portion of the film.