Not a wink of sleep

What would happen if we are deprived of sleep? Goutham Soorya and his friends, all advertising professionals, try to answer this question through their debut venture Sleeplessly Yours. The movie stars award-winning actor Sudev Nair and dancer and theatre artiste Devika in the lead roles. Told through the eyes of a young couple, the movie opens with the man waking up from a tiring sleep, realising that his partner has been disappeared. His attempt to recollect their four days without sleep and trace his partner forms the crux of the movie. Goutham says they stumbled upon this subject. “We had been discussing various themes and zeroed in on this after reading a university report on sleep deprivation,” he says. 

Not only that, the makers tried to get a first-hand experience of the situation. “We stayed awake for two-and-half days. During day time, we would be busy with discussions. Nights were spent at a café and beaches. Till 11 pm, we would sit at a café and then we would be in Shankumugham and Kovalam beaches till sunrise, discussing the project. In the morning, we would have a coffee to keep us energised,” he explains. Goutham, who wrote the story says, the experience helped him comprehend the situation well. “It was a big experience and I have brought it into the script,” he says. The film is directed by Goutham and Sudeep Elamon, who is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker. Sudeep handled the camera too.
It is a small-budget film done with their savings and the help of friends and family. “The movie wouldn’t have been possible without their help. We took the decision to work on it in June last year. Next month, the shooting began and we wrapped it up in August.” The shooting was held mostly in Thiruvananthapuram. “By working from our homes, serving home-cooked meals to the crew, convincing local studios to rent equipment for free and shooting after midnight to save on location costs, we have managed to finish 90 per cent of the project so far. Now, post production works are on.”

In the movie, the couple spends most of their time in their creative space. The makers have converted an unused space at Sudeep’s home for that. “The leading lady is a yoga instructor. My father is a yoga teacher. His working space has been taken to show the female lead’s official space. Other portions were shot in Thiruvananthapuram. Only a few parts were shot in Rameshwaram,” says Goutham, who believes night shooting helped them get stunning visuals. “Thiruvananthapuram, with its old buildings, looked very nice at night.”  The movie is edited by Appu Bhattathiri and Christy Sebastian. Music is by Varkey. The team has plans to send the movie for festivals.