“Maya”, a short film by newcomer Ani Sasi and starring “Kootathil Oruthan” pair Ashok Selvan and Priya Anand has been invited to the glamorous Chicago South Asian Film Festival, presented by Zee Cinema, next month! Ani Sasi, a long-time member of veteran Priyadarshan’s team, wrote and directed the short that focuses on a hopeless romantic writer struggling to come up with a new script that matches the success of his first.
Shot entirely in a single location and featuring humorous and moving performances by both Ashok and Priya, the short film was selected amidst hundreds of entries as one of only a handful of shorts to compete in the festival. Speaking on the film’s official selection Ashok Selvan is all smiles:
“I know how great Ani Sasi is as a filmmaker, and we go a long way back. He’s a dear friend and I know for sure when we work together we can create magic. This is just the beginning; I want to work a lot more with him. I really liked the story, because it exposes the mind of a writer, and since I write a bit myself, I could relate to it! It feels wonderful that the film has been selected in Chicago! Ani and I are looking forward to a great trip, meeting people from other cultures and seeing a lot of fantastic new films too.”
The short also features music by Ron Yohann of the upcoming release “Sigai” and camera work by Divakar Mani. The Chicago South Asian Film Festival is one of the largest multicultural events in the heartland of America and was founded in 2010 by the Chicago South Asian Arts Council, a non-profit organization.