Karinji, a short film helmed by a team of fresh graduates from FTII, has been selected for the Busan Film Festival
Directed by Sheethal N.S., the film draws from a family memory of a traumatic incident
Karinji becomes as much about oral memory as about the gaze framing it
Karinji, a 24-minute Malayalam short film written and directed by Sheethal N. S., has been officially selected for the 30th Busan International Film Festival under the Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition, a section championing outstanding short films and documentaries that expand cinematic horizons through bold, distinctive perspectives.
The synopsis on the festival reads: “In the early 20th century, Karinji, a woman from a lower caste, becomes pregnant after being sexually assaulted and ultimately meets a tragic end. Her sorrowful story has survived in the memory of the local community to this day, vividly brought back to life in striking images.”
The crew of Karinji comprise director and writer Sheethal N. S., cinematographer Anubhav Surehatia, editor Joram Yajo, production designer Abanda Carmal Chakkalakkal, and sound designer and recordist Irfan Hadi. All are fresh graduates of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, the film being their final-year production. The film stars Aneesh N, Noor, Prathul C, Sanjay Santhosh, Suraj Pratap Singh, Remya Valsala, and Suvidha Vijayan.
Speaking to Maktoob, Sheethal detailed key decisions behind the film. “I wasn’t aiming for a straightforward narrative. I wanted to move between memory and presence. Visually, the film leans on the textures of the North Malabar landscape.”
Sheethal was apprised of the story through family memory. Their grandmother recalled hearing the painful cry of Karinji in her childhood—a ghostly figure of a pregnant woman, raped and killed. The story has stuck with her since. Sheethal then wove the bare bones of the incident into an “archive of local memory and oral traditions”. In the process, she was confronted with both the colonial gaze as well as her own in revisiting and invoking the story.
The film was shot entirely in sync sound in Guhaghar, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra—picked for its geographical resemblance and owing to shooting restrictions. Sound designer Irfan Hadi emphasized the film's sonic mapping as crucial as establishing its visual schema. He also recorded additional ambience in Kerala.
On the Busan selection, Sheethal added, “Until now, our films have only been seen within the FTII community and a few friends. It feels wonderful that Karinji can now travel and find viewers elsewhere. This selection also feels like an encouragement to keep experimenting with form and storytelling.”
The Busan Film Festival 2025 will take place from September 17 to 26.
