Kushee Ravi, Seetha Kote in Kannada short film that urges audiences to look beyond gender stereotypes

Called Ikshana, the 15-minute short is currently streaming on Youtube.

Kushee Ravi and KS Sridhar in a still from the film

Dia-fame Kushee Ravi’s most recent release is a 15-minute Kannada short in which she collaborates with Seetha Kote and Sridhar KS. Written and directed by Prasanna VM, who has served as dialogue writer for Kannada films like Gubbi Mele Brahmastra, Birbal, Srinivasa Kalyana, Old Monk, etc. the short, was released on Youtube a few days ago and has garnered over 200k views since then.

For Prasanna, the response to his maiden short has been overwhelming. “Directing a feature film is a long-time desire, and I made this short film as a step in that direction, to see if audiences will watch a story that I put out. I had sent the link to a few people in my close circles and would have been happy even with 200 views. Two hundred thousand is beyond my wildest expectations and affirmation that there is an audience for good content.

Prasanna’s short film, is set in a nuclear family, comprising a father, mother, a daughter and their son, with most of the action surrounding the first three, played Sridhar KS, Seetha Kote and Kushee Ravi, respectively. “The story explores a conflict that arise out of gender stereotypes, with the father returning home and asking the homemaker mother to serve coffee. When the daughter questions why that is the mother’s duty, or for that matter hers, and not that of the son, who was just idling around, a clash of ideologies breaks out between the father and daughter. Both have valid reasons for the way they perceive things, and yet, neither of them is completely right or wrong,” says the filmmaker.

For an urban audience though, the topic may not seem new given that conversations around breaking gender stereotypes have been on for a while. “This is not a new subject, but if you look at any filmi representation of gender stereotyping or misogyny, it is always only from one perspective. More often than not, it is from the woman’s point of view. My only intention here was to present both perspectives without taking sides, which is why the film does not have a clear-cut conclusion. It is up to audiences to draw their own conclusions. The idea is to get people to look beyond what they see,” explains Prasanna, adding that some of the dialogues and instances in the short have been inspired by real-life stories he has heard from his friends.

Prasanna also says that one of the objectives of his short was to also drive home the point that gender-specific oppression has been around for centuries, yet there are people who have found ways to overcome it and make a name for themselves in various fields. “Instead of blaming our circumstances for our failure to make something of our lives, we need to forge ahead and find a way to make our dreams come true. Where there is a will, there is a way, holds true here,” he adds.

Watch Ikshana here:

While Prasanna is an established name as a dialogue writer, he hopes that Ikshana will be a good addition to his portfolio. “Tomorrow, if I approach a potential producer, I have a sample of my filmmaking skill to show. This is my attempt at presenting something from scratch to screen and see if I can convey a story effectively. I wanted to see if people can relate to my style of storytelling,” he signs off.

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