When former civil services aspirant Arjun Krish (30) and housewife Ria Dinesh (50) met at a film workshop organized by actor-director Soumya Sadanandan in 2021, they bonded over a team exercise and made a short film together.
In the end, they went on to shoot a one-line summary of the film — about a dysfunctional family on vacation but plagued by individual problems that are resolved along the way. They went on to make the short film F for Freedom, which recently won the Best Telefilm Award at the 33rd Kerala State Television Awards.
The film tells the story of a family through the eyes of Gauri Shyama, a classical dancer turned housewife. Gauri, played by Laya Simpson, is a wife and mother of two. The film deals with themes such as individuality, alienation, patriarchy and sexuality, among others.
Ria Dinesh and Arjun Krish | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A cinephile since childhood, Arjun stumbled upon filmmaking during the pandemic. After completing his post graduation in engineering, he appeared for UPSC and made it to the interview stage. Later, he worked in the UPSC coaching center till the lockdown. “During the pandemic, like many others, I started exploring alternative passions. I realized that I enjoyed writing and directing. But I didn’t have the means to get into film school,” says Arjun.
And also from F for Freedom | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Currently settled in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Ria enjoyed stage skits that were staged at Kerala Samajam, a socio-cultural organization for Malayalis. “I didn’t have a film education either. But after writing the script for a few plays, I thought of learning more, so I signed up for the workshop. As soon as I got there, I realized I was the oldest there,” says Ria.
Arjun adds, “Though Ria chechi was older than the other participants, she was the most enthusiastic person in the camp.”
The film has several autobiographical elements from Ria’s life. She, like the main character, used to be a classical dancer, but left her profession after getting married at the age of 20. “My kids are still in awe that I made a short film,” says Ria.
The film, which was slated to start in 2022, faced its challenges in finding a suitable cast and crew due to a lack of contacts in the film industry. “For the lead role, we were looking for someone young who knows classical dance. We approached Laya through social media and through her we discovered actor Sanju Sanichen (Kerala Crime Files), who plays the role of the son. The rest of the cast are our friends,” says Arjun, adding. “And most of the crew are friends of our DOP Puneet Mohan from film school.
Dubbing veteran Sreeja Ravi won the Best Dubbing Artist award for voicing the character of Gauri. “After she saw the first cut of the film, we asked her to suggest someone suitable for the project. Even though we tried other artistes, none were suitable for the character. Later, she dubbed for a few scenes, which we both did well. More than recognition for our work, we are happy that she won the award,” says Arjun.
The duo believes that this is just the beginning of their journey in cinema. “We also have our own banner, 10Degree N Dreams Studio, through which we want to promote upcoming talent,” says Arjun, who currently works with the production house’s writer’s room.
Published – 17 March 2026 08:00 IST
