Learn the ABC of joy!

Shajan Samuel might be known as a social entrepreneur and marathoner, “but my forte lies in short filmmaking as that’s the way I wish to make an impact,” begins Shajan. And rightly so, as his 2015 release ABC is garnering widespread acclaim. The film has won 21 awards, and made it as a case study in the marketing curriculum of ICFAI

Business School. And now, it has crossed 1.2 million views on YouTube. In a candid chat, he tells us more...

“I believe in five years, multiplexes will be out of business. The current generation and the next will need everything at their fingertips, literally. With high broadband proliferation, short films are the way forward. Therefore, I believe short film makers have the responsibility to offer good content on the go. We did 4 lakh views in 60 days. And now, we stand at 1.2 million views,” Shajan shares.

The 15-minuter found takers by the hordes when it released, and still garners traction. “The script of ABC was selected out of a nationwide script-writing competition out of 500 scripts. We shot the film in three days — it took us a month from pre-production to post-production.

I did not have a strategy in place but decided to go by my instincts,” enthuses the 44-year-old entrepreneur.

Speaking about his inspirations, Shajan states, “For some people, life is about triumph against all odds, for some, life is only about complexities. Some walk through this road aimlessly and some actually become the bridge. ABC is a short film that showcases the dichotomy between two extreme yet simple individuals. It is an empowering film which has the dexterity and optimism to resonate amongst all sections of the audience.”

One thing led to another and before the team knew it, ABC saw greater innings than expected. “The marketing of ABC is a case study in the marketing curriculum of ICFAI business school. I think it’s important for students to be educated and exposed to subjects that touch and value human emotions. So, this is big news for us. The fact that we didn’t try to complicate things, a short and sweet film on happiness is what worked in our favour. I’m also grateful to Sruthi Hariharan for essaying the lead role with elan,” shares Shajan.

Shajan is also an ultra-marathoner, social worker and has been a part of several awareness programmes.

The short film has been shortlisted for a number of international festivals. Speaking about the road ahead, Shajan signs off by stating, “It was the first short film which changed the dynamics of marketing in short films. I will be making another short film this year. I am on the lookout for good scripts.”