Minister V Sivankutty Releases Educational Short Films Made by Teachers and Students

Thiruvananthapuram: Short films created by school teachers as part of a health and life-skills education initiative were officially released at a function held at Shikshak Sadan. The films were written, directed, acted, and technically produced by teachers themselves under the state’s educational program.

The films were released by Kerala’s General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty. The event was chaired by General Education Secretary K. Vasuki, and attended by Director of General Education N. S. K. Umesh and other officials.

The short films were produced under the Health and Life Skills Education Program implemented by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) with support from UNICEF.

Two films focusing on the life skill of responsible behaviour were produced as part of the project. The films include “Punchiri”, written by teacher and writer Sudha Thekkemadam of Janata Higher Secondary School, and “Thudarunna Nanmakal”, written by Shajal Kakkodi, a teacher at M I L P School. Both films were directed by A. Pradeep Kumar, a teacher at Chothavoor HSS.

The lead role in “Punchiri” was played by Beena R. Chandran, a teacher at C E U P School and the winner of the Kerala State Award for Best Actress in 2024. S. T. Sajan, a teacher at Government L P School, also played a key role in the film.

Art direction for both films was handled by K. R. Ajith, Principal of B E M Higher Secondary School. Make-up was done by Sheeba Jacob of Government Higher Secondary School.

Associate directors included Thomson Kumaranalloor of Government Higher Secondary School and Nimesh Cheruvambath of Sreekrishnasahayam A L P School. The project was coordinated by Dr. S. Meena, with production control by P. Dhanallal of G V H S S. Cinematography was handled by Shinod Champad.

Along with teachers, several students from Government L P School—including Sudheesh, Niranjana, Vaiga, Abhiraj and Shivanand—also appeared in the films.