Nayanam Madhuram - Graduate Film
"Nayanam Madhuram (His Delightful Eyes)" is a poignant coming-of-age short film in Telugu, a regional language of southern India. It narrates the story of two children longing for rain in their village and their belief in the local deity Chintamani to realize their dreams. Their journey to fulfil these wishes forms the heart of the film.
As a 22-minute graduate project, our team of five assumed various roles in its creation. My contribution was as the editor and colourist. Despite not speaking Telugu, I collaborated closely with the director to create an initial rough cut, then refined the film's scenes. The colour scheme was designed with a warm tone palette to reflect the regional and religious festivals portrayed in the film, alongside a fine textured grain to impart a film-like, nostalgic quality.
The film was met with acclaim at the university, particularly for its authentic regional storytelling and the performances of the primarily non-actor child cast. It earned a standing ovation at its screening and was subsequently honoured with the Best Director and Best Editor awards at the SMIFA Shorts 2019 in the Telugu category.
Screengrabs from the film
