A simple search on YouTube would lead you to a lot of short films. Most of them, however, would be love stories depicting theppu (cheating or deceiving the partner) as the main theme. Dear June, a short film written and directed by Ahammed Khabeer, comes as a relief among this pool of depressing narratives.
Ahammed says this is what he wanted to communicate to audience — that not all love stories end up in cheating. “Smooth and happy relationships are around us. Just observe your friends, you could find plenty of such stories,” says the director, who was working as a programme producer for a television channel. He later quit his job to chase his ultimate dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Dear June is his maiden step towards filmmaking. “These days most of the short films show love and women in a bad light. Mostly women are depicted as cheaters. I wanted to show the positive side of love. Hence, this film,” he adds. His film-loving friends joined him to turn this idea into reality when he suggested this. “We had a feature film in mind. But that will take some time. So, we zeroed in on a short film,” he says.
Dear June has so far crossed more than 40,000 views on YouTube. The story takes place in a flat where two lovers meet, prior to the girl’s departure to Canada for studies. The boy wants her to stay back because he fears distance would weaken their relationship. The rest of the movie shows how they tackle the nuances of a long-distance relationship. The story develops through these two characters. The girl’s mother’s character is only portrayed through her voice.
Libin Varghese and Aleena Elizabeth have enlivened the lead characters. Libin is an employee at InfoPark, while Aleena is a student at Madras Christian College in Chennai. The shooting took place at Libin’s flat in Kochi. What makes the film visually appealing is the handmade props used in it. Merin, Libin’s wife, and Dileep handled the art direction department.
“All those who worked behind it dream cinema. This is what brought us together,” says Libin, who was part of a few theatre productions in Pune. “My character represents an urban youth. It is a simple love story narrated in an even simpler manner,” adds Libin.
