Arjun Krish and Ria Dinesh on winning the award for the Best Telefilm at Kerala State Television Awards

Arjun Krish and Ria Dinesh win Best Telefilm at Kerala State Television Awards for their impactful short film, F for Freedom.

When former Civil Services aspirant Arjun Krish, 30, and homemaker Ria Dinesh, 50, came together at a filmmaking workshop hosted by actor-director Soumya Sadanandan in 2021, the duo bonded during a team exercise and made a short film together.

They eventually went on to pitch a one-line summary of a film — about a dysfunctional family on vacation, but are troubled by individual problems, which are solved during this trip. They went on to make it into a short film, F for Freedom, which recently won the award for Best Telefilm 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-homemaker. Gauri, played by Laya Simpson, is a wife and mother of two. The film tackles themes such as individuality, alienation, patriarchy, and sexuality, among others.

Ria Dinesh and Arjun Krish | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Arjun, a cinephile since childhood, stumbled across filmmaking during the pandemic. After completing post-graduation in engineering, he appeared for the UPSC and reached till the interview stage. Later, he worked at a UPSC coaching centre till lockdown. “During the pandemic, like many others, I started exploring alternate passions. I realised that I enjoyed writing and direction. However, I did not have the means to join a film school,” says Arjun.

A still from F for Freedom | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT