"Ludicrous To Question Protests On Gaza": Oscar Winning Sound Designer Resul Pookutty

Recently at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kerala, Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty criticised the widespread silence and complicity around Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. In conversation with MediaOne TV, Pookutty stated that he found it “ludicrous" that some people asked why protests for Gaza should be happening in our country. He further emphasised that, “It’s not about our issues or their issues. It’s about how we sensitise people.”

Pookutty's recent statements on Gaza reflect a rare voice that sees cinema and public influence as instruments for empathy, justice, and global awareness. Pookutty happens to be one of India’s most celebrated sound designers, editors, and mixers, acclaimed globally for his work in Slumdog Millionaire (2008), alongside films like Black (2005), Delhi-6 (2009), Raavan (2010), and Chennai Express (2013) and many more.

His production Dejavu, directed by Bedabrata Pain, is being shown at IDSFFK this year. It foregrounds the ongoing struggle of farmers, framing their protest not as a localised grievances, but as a universal resistance resonating across borders and eras. The film interrogates systemic exploitation and the suffocating weight of corrupt capitalist structures, capturing the urgency and persistence of collective dissent.

Beyond his craft, Pookutty has consistently used his platform to speak on social and political issues, from criticising governmental indifference during the FTII protests in 2015 to advocating recognition and respect for the film fraternity at the National Film Awards in 2018. “The future of the country rests on the shoulders of the youth,” Pookutty said. He asserted that if they fail to engage with contemporary challenges, whether addressing global crises or fostering awareness among citizens, society risks stagnation.

At the 17th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) in August 2025, filmmakers offered piercing, intimate glimpses into resilience and resistance amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. The festival opened with From Ground Zero (2024), curated by Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi. Twenty-two shorts by Palestinian directors depicted daily life, struggles, and hopes, presenting a vivid testament to human endurance in the face of devastation.

The festival also dedicated a category titled “An Ode To Resistance” for stories emerging from Gaza. Abdullah Harun Ilhan’s Free Words: A Poet from Gaza (2024) chronicled Mosab Abu Toha’s lyrical defiance against genocide. This category also featured Gaza Sound Man (2025) by Hossam Hamdi Abu Dan, following a Palestinian sound engineer capturing the city’s auditory life, revealing the unnoticed rhythms of survival amid siege and chaos. Circling back to Pookutty’s call to action, it is both an urgent and personal reminder that vision without initiative achieves nothing.