Director Sanju Surendran on the massive win on the Busan International Film Festival 2025 for his movie, Khidki Gaav

In the penultimate scene of Sanju Surendran’s If on a Winter’s Night (Khidki Gaav), a disturbing silence dawns on the viewers as the 2 protagonists, Abhi and Sarah, performed by Roshan Abdul Rahoof and Bhanu Priyamvada, wait at a bus cease indefinitely. The chilling Delhi winter night time, conveyed via the chilly hues and convincing performances, mixed with an sudden downpour, paint the sombre image of a Malayali migrant youth.

However, for Sanju, Khidki Gaav is the tip of an extended wait, lasting a number of winters to shoot the movie in Delhi attributable to an absence of sources. The director believes the film is lastly getting its due credit score, after successful the Hylife Vision Award on the Busan International Film Festival 2025 which concluded lately. The movie competed within the Asia Vision class.

Shot within the first half of 2024, the film revolves round a younger Malayali couple in a live-in relationship in Delhi, as they attempt to make ends meet; whereas Abhi battles language barrier, Sarah fends off the controlling household.

“We had been attempting to discover trendy relationships in an city house — its complexities, ups and downs, and so forth. Scriptwriter Rekha Raj had an excellent hand in creating the opposing characterisations of the protagonists,” says Sanju.

“This movie relies on a number of private experiences of my mates. The dialog about Khidki Gaav started when Rahul Pratap Singh, who wrote the Hindi dialogues within the film, talked about Musafir (1957) by Ritwik Ghatak, which is a few rented home and three folks in numerous levels of their lives,” says Sanju.

Initially shot with monetary assist from Sanju’s mates within the movie business, Khidki Gaav gained consideration as a Top Selects movie on the Waves Bazaar undertaking market held in Mumbai early this 12 months, securing the Asian Cinema Fund grant for post-production. It was additionally a part of the CineV-CHD undertaking market in Chandigarh. Ace director Payal Kapadiya’s entry as an govt producer was additionally a welcome shock for Sanju.

Delhi and winter

“The Hindi title of the movie refers back to the house the film is ready in, and the English title is concerning the time or season,” says Sanju, referring to Khidki Gaon, a village in Delhi, identified for reasonably priced lodging amenities for college students.

“Even after seven days into the shoot, we had been nonetheless looking for a home for the protagonists. The individuals who agreed had backed out. At final, we discovered a pupil’s condominium, which had only a bench, desk, and beds,” says Sanju.

He provides, “It is troublesome in all places for bachelors to get even lodging. This will get worse with the north-south divide. There are even locations that permit solely vegetarians. The film is a crystallisation of such experiences,” says Sanju.

He mentions that Delhi is a troublesome place to shoot in. “When I shot my first movie, Aedan: Garden of Desire (2017), in Kerala, there have been no hassles.” Delhi performs a job within the film as Abhi doesn’t converse Hindi.

The director, a pupil of the late Mani Kaul, legendary filmmaker and former college on the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, narrates how the owner, a vibrant character, who wore Hawaii shirts with gold bracelets and watch, and rode Royal Enfield bike like Fahadh Faasil’s character in Aavesham, celebrated his birthday on the set and made Instagram reels with the artwork director Fyodor Sam Brook and manufacturing designer Dileep Das. “When I requested them about it, Dileep stated, ‘If we don’t entertain him, he may interrupt the climax shoot,’” Sanju jokes.

Sanju, a fan of French filmmaker Robert Bresson, turned to his idea of grace (which means a contented accident whereas the digital camera is rolling) whereas resorting to guerrilla taking pictures, which he believes has benefitted the movie.

“I like the thought of improvisation. Even although we’ve got a script and actors, we attempt to transcend it. We had a really restricted house to work with, and if the house was not proven apparently, it will have been redundant,” says Sanju.

For occasion, at a crucial juncture of the movie, when the protagonists are in a state of unhappiness and frustration, the digital camera cuts to somebody strolling on the roads carrying a t-shirt with the phrase ‘depressing’ written on it. “Some of those components simply took place whereas we had been taking pictures. Even the rain throughout the climax is one such ingredient,” says Sanju.

The Ensemble

“Roshan contacted me on social media once I put out a casting name. I felt he had a spark of innocence that will do justice to the character.” Roshan had shot to fame along with his debut film, Omar Lulu’s Oru Adaar Love, together with Priya Prakash Warrier, particularly with the track, ‘Manikyamalaraya’.

“Bhanu, who has additionally starred in Madras Matinee (2025) and Daveed (2025), got here on board on the final minute after a number of actresses had backed out, delivered a sensible act as Sarah. Jitheesh Raichel Samuel as Simon additionally carried out properly.”

Roshan and Arathy KB who performs Gopika, attended performing workshops. “More importantly, we shot for 42 days and spent high quality time with one another. This allowed them to get into the pores and skin of the characters and be assured.”

“Colour grading performs a major position within the film. I’m grateful to my colourist, Ethan Park, who joined the undertaking after we received the Asian Cinema fund. He sees the world via textures and hues and introduced the wintery really feel to the viewers,” says Sanju, additionally commenting on the costume design by Leena Thushara and cinematography by veteran Manesh Madhavan.

Moving ahead

Sanju, who directed the nationwide award-winning documentary Kapila, says, “I attempt to see every movie as a brand new journey and take a look at to not repeat myself or a sure success components. The technique of Khidki Gaav could be very totally different from Aedan’s. Each movie is a brand new journey.” He is gearing up for his subsequent directorial, Fishers of Men/Kothiyan, written by S. Harish. “It was awarded the second-best movie eventually 12 months’s National Film Development Corporation’s Film Bazaar co-production market.”

He provides, “For Khidki Gaav, we’re awaiting responses from a number of festivals and planning a restricted theatrical launch. It is a tricky journey forward.”