Told to submit a cinematography project, this Malayali filmmaker delivered an Oscar contender

For Malayali filmmaker Sidharth Harikumar, a quiet night at home turned unforgettable with a late-night email that would change everything. It was from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His short film 'Vasu' had been selected as one of the 15 semi-finalists in the Narrative category at the 2025 Student Academy Awards, popularly known as the Student Oscars.

"It felt surreal," Sidharth tells Onmanorama. “I got the message around 11.30 pm. At first, I wasn’t even sure it was real. But when I saw my name on the official Oscars website, I knew it was happening.”

A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Sidharth is one of the few Indian filmmakers to make it to the semi-finalist stage of this prestigious platform, where films are submitted by students from top global institutions including Ivy League schools and the American Film Institute. “Just to be recognised alongside such names is overwhelming,” he says.

An unconventional path to global acclaim
Sidharth’s journey into filmmaking wasn’t a straight one. With an engineering background, he first pursued a Master’s degree in Directing from London. But after the passing of his father, he had to return to Kerala, pressing pause on his creative aspirations. Years later, still holding on to his dream, he went on to complete a second Master’s, this time in Cinematography from the Met Film School in Berlin.

'Vasu' was created as part of his final project at Met. While he was only required to submit a cinematography assignment, his love for storytelling pushed him to go bigger. “I pitched the idea of making a short film to my tutors and thankfully, they approved,” he recalls.

The story behind 'Vasu'
Set in Kerala, 'Vasu' tells the haunting tale of a retired police officer struggling with the emotional burden of a crime he committed under official orders. Sidharth says the idea for the film took root during his time in Germany.

“In Germany, the remnants of the Holocaust are everywhere. It made me wonder: how many people, especially those in uniform, were forced into actions they couldn’t morally stand by? That helplessness stayed with me,” he says. The character of Vasu was born from those thoughts and further shaped by real-world accounts of PTSD in frontline workers.
“There’s a lot of mental health awareness these days, but we rarely talk about the trauma faced by police officers, soldiers, or first responders,” Sidharth explains. “'Vasu' is fictional, but it’s inspired by countless testimonials I read.”

Made in Kerala, with heart
Though the film could’ve been shot anywhere, Sidharth chose to return to Kerala for the project. “I wanted the story to be rooted in my culture,” he says. The cast and crew were entirely from Kerala, including the lead actor Parameswaran Kuriyathi, a seasoned theatre artist, and editor Pradeep Shankar, known for his work in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. Sidharth’s wife co-produced the film.

While he couldn’t attend the film’s screening in Berlin due to his return to India, the response from his peers and mentors was immediate and overwhelming. “They started calling me right after the screening. It felt incredible to know the film had connected with such a diverse audience, from Europe to the Middle East,” he says.

From film fests to the Academy
After the success of 'Vasu' within his school, Sidharth began submitting it to festivals. It garnered over 10 accolades before he decided to take a leap and submit to A-list platforms. “I didn’t have much hope when I sent it to the Student Academy Awards,” he admits. “I just wanted to give it a shot.”
Now, with global recognition and support pouring in, Sidharth is cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead. “My family, especially my mother, is over the moon. After everything we’ve been through, this recognition means a lot. It’s not just mine, it’s theirs too.”

He’s currently working on a script. “I haven’t decided if it’ll be in Malayalam or another language. I want the film to have a global reach, but nothing is concrete yet,” he says.
From engineering to London to Berlin and now the Student Oscars, Sidharth Harikumar’s path has been anything but ordinary. But for a filmmaker who has always followed his passion, this feels like just the beginning.