Chennai, Jan 20: Actress Devayani’s first short film as director titled ‘Kaikuttai Rani’ (Handkerchief Queen) has now won an award at the 17th Jaipur International Film Festival. Devayani, who has acted in over 100 films across various languages over the last three decades, recently chose to make her directorial debut with the short film, which has now won the prestigious award for Best Short Film for Children at the festival.
‘Kaikkuttai Rani’, which has been produced, written, and directed by Devayani under the D Films banner, features music by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, with editing by renowned editor B Lenin. The film has cinematography by Rajan Miryala and sound design by Lakshmi Narayanan A.S. With a runtime of 20 minutes, ‘Kaikuttai Rani’ explores the emotional journey of a young girl who faces various challenges after losing her mother, while her father works in a distant place.
The short film beautifully portrays the emotions and struggles of children through a deeply touching narrative. The jury at the 17th Jaipur International Film Festival recognized ‘Kaikkutai Rani’ for its exceptional portrayal of children’s emotions, awarding it the Best Short Film for Children.
The film’s cast and crew led by Devayani received high praise for their remarkable contributions. Expressing her joy over the recognition, Devayani shared, “While I have acted in many films, it is an immense source of pride and happiness that my first directorial project has received an international award.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the senior artistes who were part of this project. We are also working on taking ‘Kaikuttai Rani’ to other international film festivals.” The lead roles in ‘Kaikuttai Rani’ have been played by Niharika V.K. and Naveen N. The sound effects were designed by C. Sethu, and DI Colorist is Antony Bebin A. The film is being represented at international film festivals by Ulaga Cinema Baskaran.
IANS