BENGALURU: Two years ago when theatre artiste and filmmaker Vineed Menon came across a sand timer, there was something about it that struck him. So much so that he started working on a film, the central theme of which was the object. First Sin, the film that came to be was picked by Hotstar and has been available on the OTT platform in the last four days.
The branch training manager for a multinational apparel retail brand by day and theatre and filmmaker by dusk, Menon has been pursuing his passion for the last five years. “Somehow after coming across the sand timer, I started developing a story line in my mind. I discussed this with a friend who liked it and suggested a larger film,” he says.
The 20-minute story revolves around Ashwath, an unsuccessful businessman who is having a troubled relationship in his marriage. One morning, he gets a sand timer at his door step, and life takes a turn when he discovers the magical powers in it. “I developed on the antagonist’s character whose life changes with the sand timer. I purposely chose to work on the antagonist rather than a protagonist,” he says.
Confident about the script and film he made two years ago, Menon had not imagined the route it would take. With three leads and two supporting characters, Menon himself has done one cameo of a policeman. “That was because we couldn’t find a cop who would suit the role,” he says about the film which has travelled to many film festivals and won awards. Some of the awards the film has won are best dialogue writing award from the Global India International Film Festival in Pune; best screenplay twist of the season at the Beyond Earth Film Festival in Kolkata among others.
Made under the banners Twisted Frames and Theatre on Bengaluru, Menon, an amateur filmmaker came across several hurdles, including overshooting his budget of Rs 50,000. “I wanted the post-production to be done in Mumbai, but the budget didn’t permit that.
We had to change editors thrice which is when I decided to learn editing for my future films,” says Menon, who completed the film with the support of his wife, Anuja Menon, also the co-dialogue writer and co-producer. Now ready with a short film, Menon is still trying to figure out the shooting logistics of the film considering the restrictions the coronavirus has brought on. “We are keen to shoot the film in Kerala, but we are trying to see how to do it. We are trying to see if it can be done indoors,” he says.