While exploring the German capital of Berlin, where he was a postgraduate student in cinematography at the MetFilm School, filmmaker Sidharth Harikumar often sensed a weight in the air, shadowed by the memory of the Holocaust. He experienced this in public transport and museums.
He came across multiple photos with Nazi soldiers holding a gun to someone’s head, forcing Sidharth to contemplate whether the soldiers questioned their actions or their superiors.
Sidharth Harikumar, the director of Vasu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
This thought led Sidharth to make Vasu as part of his final-year project at the MetFilm School. The short film tells the story of a retired police officer leading a secluded life in the woods as part of his final-year project at the MetFilm School. Vasu is one of the seven finalists nominated for the Student Academy Awards 2025 in the Narrative category. It is also the only film from India in the running across four categories —Alternative or Experimental, Animation, Documentary and Narrative.
“It is surreal. Vasu, being a student project, was made on a limited budget. This recognition has put us on the international map,” says Siddharth, who has also done the cinematography of the short.
Also read: Malayalam short film ‘Kovarty’ explores romance between a typewriter and the typist
“I started by researching frontline workers and their trauma,” says Sidharth over a call from Chennai. “I focussed on people in the uniformed services in Kerala who were coerced to follow their superiors’ orders and how they lived with that guilt for the rest of their lives.”
The 16-minute film explores Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experienced by a retired police officer. “Vasu’s character is shaped by obedience and suppression of his emotions,” says Sidharth.
Sidharth Harikumar with actor Parameswaran Kuriyathi during the shoot of Vasu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Parameswaran Kuriyathi, 77, a renowned theatre artist from Manacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, plays the titular character. “One of my family friends introduced me to him. When I met Parameswaran chettan, he had long hair and a moustache. He looked like a sadhu. He had not shaved in 30 years. And my first question to him was, ‘Are you willing to shave it off?’ Fortunately, he agreed after our first narration,” says Sidharth.
The film was shot at Chitranjali Studio in Thiruvananthapuram, except for a few scenes shot in Peyad. Vasu treats the wilderness as a character. The plot and visual language aptly conveys a disturbing reality.
Sidharth Harikumar with actor Parameswaran Kuriyathi during the shoot of Vasu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Before he joined MetFilm School in London to pursue a master’s in film direction, Sidharth finished his bachelor’s in biotechnology. Soon after he finished his course in London, his father passed away, compelling him to take up the family business.
“My father supported my passion. He exposed me to good cinema at a young age. When I was 10, I used to watch movies that might be considered ‘boring’ at that age,” says Sidharth, who admits his love for legendary Malayalam director G Aravindan, sneaking into Vasu.
“I didn’t think of cinema for five years. Then I worked on a project that rekindled my passion and made me want to study more,” says Sidharth. In 2023, he joined the MetFilm school in Berlin to pursue a master’s in cinematography.
Sidharth’s previous work, Saffron Ash (2017), won Best Student Film at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (CICFF) in 2018. Much like Vasu, Saffron Ash centers on reflection, an unintentional creative choice by the maker. “I have never thought about it that way. But I have learnt a lot by looking back, and maybe the next movie I do might not have such an element.”
Sidharth is currently working on the screenplay of his debut feature. “I received offers to teach at film schools before I got to know about the Student Oscar nominations. Maybe, it was a sign for me not to quit filmmaking yet.”
Published – August 07, 2025 11:00 am IST
