From Sunita Williams to 'Sakshatkaram'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "Do you know who is the tallest person in India?" Sudesh Balan still remembers the funny question that Sunita Williams asked him that day. He still remembers the smiling face of Sunita after answering by saying, "It's me only". Sudesh too is worried about the delay in Sunita's return journey from the International Space Station. He had closely interacted with Sunita years ago when he was making a short film about her for Voice of America in the US.

"Sunita arrived with a dog in a rusty pick-up van. She has the nature of indulging in spiritual thoughts. She has memorized Hindu philosophy from her Gujarati father. She made me samosas at home. An ordinary woman who is always cheerful. She is so simple that one might wonder if she is really the world-famous astronaut that everyone is talking about," Sudesh said.

Sudesh, a professor at Bombay IIT, opened up about the heroine of his first short film while sharing the details of his new short film 'Sakshatkaram' with Kerala Kaumudi.

'Sakshatkaram' is the latest short film directed by Uzhavoor native Sudesh, who graduated from Government Engineering College (CET) Thiruvananthapuram with a degree in Architecture (1990-96 batch). The theme of the short film is organ donation.

The 15-minute-long film tells the story of a common man who goes to meet a foreign woman who received his wife's hands after his wife's death. The short film will be released on YouTube on August 13, World Organ Donation Day. Through this short film, Sudesh depicts the depth of emotional connections between people beyond the boundaries of religion, language and nation. The film won several awards in various film festivals, including the Mumbai International Film Festival and the SiGNS Film Festival. The film was jointly produced by his wife Dr Sheeja Vasudevan and Bombay IIT.

Sudeshs's interest in photography and especially the cinematography of Santosh Sivan brought many turning points in his life. After CET, he quit his job as an architectural head draftsman in the Public Works Department to pursue advanced degrees from IIT Bombay and then the University of Illinois in the United States. He has also worked in Hollywood. He returned to India with a wealth of experience.