Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Aug: Thiruvananthapuram audiences will get a special treat this weekend as Basanti Tailors, the much-lauded Hindi short film directed by Dehradun-based filmmaker Ajay Govind and produced by Drishyam Films in association with the Azim Premji Foundation, joins the official line-up of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) 2025.
“Both Uttarakhand and Kerala have played a pivotal role in my journey as a filmmaker. As a Malayali, it feels very special to travel with my Hindi short film to Kerala,” says Govind. “It goes without saying, that bringing the film to IDSFFK, one of the most respected short film festivals in the world, means bringing its various themes to a state where a lot of these conversations are already happening.”
The film has multiple Uttarakhand connections. To begin with, it is shot in the outskirts of Dehradun, with the production helmed by the local production house Sisyphus Rocks Films led by Abhishek Pandey and Faizi Aleem Khan. Apart from Ajay who is based in Dehradun, the dialogue writer Ankana Joshi and Radha Bhatt one of the leads, also belong to the state. Known for her recent role in Criminal Justice, Sohaila Kapur plays the titular role of Basanti and is supported ably by young Alaina, Sanvir, and Delhi-based actor Manish Panwar.
Basanti Tailors has already been screened at the Kids First! International Film Festival, Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, and after IDSFFK is traveling to Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Imagine India International Film Festival (Madrid), Taoba International Youth Film Festival (Tbilisi), Zero Plus International Film Festival (Tyumen), among others.
The film is set in the Himalayan village of Halduwala near Dehradun and centres on Basanti, a 59-year-old tailor, and her spirited 9-year-old granddaughter Ginny. Their peaceful routine changes when a new resident, Anupama, brings them a pile of old clothes to transform into everyday items. When Ginny becomes attached to one particular T-shirt, only to discover it belongs to Anupama’s son and is his favourite, Basanti must navigate the situation with sensitivity and tact.
The film is screening as part of the Competition Section on 24 August at 11:30 a.m. at Kairali Theatre.
Blending humour with tender human drama, the story naturally weaves in ideas of recycling and circularity, making it especially resonant for audiences in Kerala, where sustainable living and community bonds hold deep cultural value.
Ajay Govind is an independent filmmaker and co-founder of the Helen Keller Award winning communications agency Words Rhythms Images. A graduate in English Literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, he has directed over 100 commissioned videos for the social sector, two feature films, four short films, and five music videos. His previous Malayalam children’s film, Madappally United, has been widely screened across India and won accolades at prestigious international festivals, including the Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, Kenya International Sports Film Festival, and Roshd International Film Festival (Iran). He is also known for his Malayalam short film Jump Cuts, and his short film love, bites has nearly 5 million views on YouTube.
