Daijiworld Media Network – Palakkad

Palakkad, Mar 14: Short film Opponent, directed by filmmaker and cinematographer Amos TG, has won multiple honours at the 33rd Kerala State Television Awards, including Best Director, Best Editor, Best Music Director and Best Second Actor.

Amos said the idea for the psychological drama came from a story he heard while travelling through Arunachal Pradesh a few years ago. The story revolved around a boxing match that ended in the death of a fighter, leaving the rival boxer deeply traumatised.

“Once I heard the story, I tried to figure out how to set the narrative in Kerala. Eventually, we decided to place the film in Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” said Amos, who is based in Palakkad.

The 27-minute film follows Faiz, played by Kishore Roshik, a boxer struggling with guilt after accidentally killing his opponent during a match. The story explores themes of loss in sports, ethical dilemmas and the psychological toll such incidents take on athletes.
The film premiered at the India International Short Movie Fest (iNiM) 2024 held in the United Arab Emirates.

Editing was handled by Fazil Rasak, director of the critically acclaimed film Thadavu, where Amos had earlier worked as an associate cinematographer.

Amos credited his filmmaking journey to collaborations with Fazil Rasak and cinematographer Mridul S, noting that both had developed their craft through short films and film festival circuits.

The cast has also received recognition across festivals. Kishore Roshik won Best Actor at the LK International Film Festival and the FETE International Short Film Festival. Actor Amritha Krishnakumar received a special jury mention for portraying Faiz’s sister at the iNiM festival.

To prepare for the role, Kishore underwent three weeks of boxing training under action choreographer Nowfar Khan, who also worked on the upcoming Malayalam boxing film Daveed starring Antony Varghese.

One of the biggest challenges during filming was shooting the boxing match sequence. With budget constraints preventing the team from hiring a crowd, the sequence was shot using a slow shutter speed, giving it a hazy visual effect that reflected the characters’ physical exhaustion after the fight.

Following its release, the creative decision has drawn praise from viewers and critics alike.

Amos, who has worked on around 35 short films, is now preparing for his feature film directorial debut. “My work with Opponent is done. Now it is time for audiences to watch it and share their feedback. I accept both appreciation and criticism,” he said.

The short film is currently streaming on the Bhavana Studios YouTube channel.