The first person I spotted as I stepped into Prasad Labs was Rayane Radhika. Standing at the entrance, simultaneously anxious and excited, she personally welcomed every guest. I walked into the oft frequented screening hall, and instead of the usual faces of yawning reporters and camerapersons, I was greeted by visibly excited people. Starstruck by the slew of celebrities around them. These were applicants from around the world, attending the Radaan Short Film Festival.
Arya was first to take the stage. He said that a short film was a resume for aspiring filmmakers. “I honestly find it irritating when a newcomer director tells me ‘Super kadha iruku sir, can I have three hours of your time?’. A short film speaks for itself. I wish that everyone who wants to make it into feature films tries their hand at making short films as well,” he said.
The top five participants were asked to make a short film on the theme ‘Obstacles in Love’, and these films were screened at the festival.
Theera Vizha, a film about dysfunctional relationships had the Chennai floods as a backdrop. The film was comical, though we aren’t certain that was the director’s intention. The lead performances were amateurish, and the dialogues, juvenile.
Thadai had a different take on the term ‘love’. The film explored two types of love. One was between a new police officer and his father, and the other was between the same officer and his girlfriend. The girlfriend can’t wait to see him in uniform for the first time. The entire film was taken in a single shot and was appreciated by the audience.
Irudhi Varai was a beautiful tale about a married couple, and how they overcome a difficult period in their lives when the wife becomes paralysed after an accident. The film was shot in San Jose by Anjali Padmarajan. With a talented lead cast, the film was awarded the first runner up prize.
5aam Dhisai was set against a village backdrop with five people headed home on a bullock cart. A writer, a thug, a little girl, a transvestite, and a physically disabled folk musician. They have different wishes and different things they love. The film was about how their lives intertwine during this shared journey.
Asariri, which won the Best Film award, was an innovative film about faltering relationships and technology. A young wife is widowed when her husband has an accident. But, he lives on in her life through a mobile application where he has downloaded all his memories. Though the idea seemed far-fetched, the film was appreciated for telling a beautiful story through such a concept. Asariri was a crowd favourite as well.
Asariri director Ganesh Kaarthick is a fully qualified architect whose passion is cinema. “I always wanted to be in films. But my family was against it. So I took up architecture with the idea that maybe it would help me get into art direction. Since director Selvaraghavan is my inspiration, I wanted to make a love story with some suspense in it. But once I decided to base my plot on a mobile application, I wanted to ensure that there was a logic to it. Artificial intelligence is a reality. Though the software is still under production, I wanted to bring it into this story,” he said.
Balaji Mohan and Karthik Subbaraj, both filmmakers who made their way into the industry with short films, wished the winners well. Director and actor K Bagyaraj awarded cash prizes to the winning teams.
