In the penultimate scene of Sanju Surendran’s If on a Winter’s Night (Khidki Gaav), a disturbing silence dawns on the audience as the two protagonists, Abhi and Sarah, played by Roshan Abdul Rahoof and Bhanu Priyamvada, wait at a bus stop indefinitely. The chilling Delhi winter night, conveyed through the cold hues and convincing performances, combined with an unexpected downpour, paint the sombre picture of a Malayali migrant youth.
However, for Sanju, Khidki Gaav is the end of a long wait, lasting several winters to shoot the film in Delhi due to a lack of resources. The director believes the movie is finally getting its due credit, after winning the Hylife Vision Award at the Busan International Film Festival 2025 which concluded recently. The film competed in the Asia Vision category.
Sanju Surendran at Busan International Film Festival 2025 with the Hylife Vision Award
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Shot in the first half of 2024, the movie revolves around a young Malayali couple in a live-in relationship in Delhi, as they try to make ends meet; while Abhi battles language barrier, Sarah fends off the controlling family.
“We were trying to explore modern relationships in an urban space — its complexities, ups and downs, and so on. Scriptwriter Rekha Raj had a good hand in developing the opposing characterisations of the protagonists,” says Sanju.
“This film is based on a few personal experiences of my friends. The conversation about Khidki Gaav began when Rahul Pratap Singh, who wrote the Hindi dialogues in the movie, mentioned Musafir (1957) by Ritwik Ghatak, which is about a rented house and three people in different stages of their lives,” says Sanju.
Initially shot with financial aid from Sanju’s friends in the film industry, Khidki Gaav gained attention as a Top Selects film at the Waves Bazaar project market held in Mumbai early this year, securing the Asian Cinema Fund grant for post-production. It was also part of the CineV-CHD project market in Chandigarh. Ace director Payal Kapadiya’s entry as an executive producer was also a welcome surprise for Sanju.
Delhi and winter
“The Hindi title of the film refers to the space the movie is set in, and the English title is about the time or season,” says Sanju, referring to Khidki Gaon, a village in Delhi, known for affordable accommodation facilities for students.
A still from Khidki Gaav
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“Even after seven days into the shoot, we were still searching for a house for the protagonists. The people who agreed had backed out. At last, we found a student’s apartment, which had just a bench, desk, and beds,” says Sanju.
He adds, “It is difficult everywhere for bachelors to get even accommodation. This gets worse with the north-south divide. There are even places that allow only vegetarians. The movie is a crystallisation of such experiences,” says Sanju.
He mentions that Delhi is a difficult place to shoot in. “When I shot my first film, Aedan: Garden of Desire (2017), in Kerala, there were no hassles.” Delhi plays a role in the movie as Abhi does not speak Hindi.
The director, a student of the late Mani Kaul, legendary filmmaker and former faculty at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, narrates how the landlord, a colourful character, who wore Hawaii shirts with gold bracelets and watch, and rode Royal Enfield bike like Fahadh Faasil’s character in Aavesham, celebrated his birthday on the set and made Instagram reels with the art director Fyodor Sam Brook and production designer Dileep Das. “When I asked them about it, Dileep said, ‘If we don’t entertain him, he might interrupt the climax shoot,’” Sanju jokes.
Sanju, a fan of French filmmaker Robert Bresson, turned to his concept of grace (meaning a happy accident while the camera is rolling) while resorting to guerrilla shooting, which he believes has benefitted the film.
“I like the idea of improvisation. Even though we have a script and actors, we try to go beyond it. We had a very limited space to work with, and if the space was not shown interestingly, it would have been redundant,” says Sanju.
For instance, at a critical juncture of the film, when the protagonists are in a state of sadness and frustration, the camera cuts to someone walking on the roads wearing a t-shirt with the word ‘miserable’ written on it. “Some of these elements just came about while we were shooting. Even the rain during the climax is one such element,” says Sanju.
The Ensemble
“Roshan contacted me on social media when I put out a casting call. I felt he had a spark of innocence that would do justice to the character.” Roshan had shot to fame with his debut movie, Omar Lulu’s Oru Adaar Love, along with Priya Prakash Warrier, especially with the song, ‘Manikyamalaraya’.
Bhanu Priyamvada, Sanju Surendran and Roshan Abdul Rahoof with the Hylife Vision Award
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“Bhanu, who has also starred in Madras Matinee (2025) and Daveed (2025), came on board at the last minute after several actresses had backed out, delivered a realistic act as Sarah. Jitheesh Raichel Samuel as Simon also performed well.”
Stills from ‘Khidki Gaav’
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Roshan and Arathy KB who plays Gopika, attended acting workshops. “More importantly, we shot for 42 days and spent quality time with each other. This allowed them to get into the skin of the characters and be confident.”
“Colour grading plays a significant role in the movie. I am grateful to my colourist, Ethan Park, who joined the project after we got the Asian Cinema fund. He sees the world through textures and colours and brought the wintery feel to the audience,” says Sanju, also commenting on the costume design by Leena Thushara and cinematography by veteran Manesh Madhavan.
Moving forward
Sanju, who directed the national award-winning documentary Kapila, says, “I try to see each film as a new journey and try not to repeat myself or a certain success formula. The process of Khidki Gaav is very different from Aedan’s. Each film is a new adventure.” He is gearing up for his next directorial, Fishers of Men/Kothiyan, written by S. Harish. “It was awarded the second-best film at last year’s National Film Development Corporation’s Film Bazaar co-production market.”
He adds, “For Khidki Gaav, we are awaiting responses from a few festivals and planning a limited theatrical release. It is a tough journey ahead.”
