‘First Salary’ follows Harish, an engineering graduate, who is looking for a job in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Pavan Venkatesh’s Kannada short film, First Salary, has been gaining popularity on YouTube since its release on November 30, 2025. The story captures a mother’s sentiment and a son’s quest for a better living. It was produced under the banner of the celebrated PR firm in the industry, Raghavendra Chitravani.
First Salary joins the list of iconic films that the firm has produced, including Olavina Udugore, Ganeshana Maduve, Gundana Maduve, Pattanakke Banda Putta, and Nagu Nagutha Nali.
Speaking to The Hindu about the film’s success, its origin story, and the firm’s future projects, Pavan says he just focused on continuing the legacy of the production house, supporting artists, and celebrating cinema.
“Raghavendra Chitravani has been an institution providing continued service to the film industry. My grandfather D.V. Sudheendra did the same for 50 years. My father, Sudheendra Venkatesh, took over from him, and now, under his tutelage, I hope to carry on the legacy the same way,” Pavan says.
The family-oriented short film portrays a son who grapples with unemployment and health issues, and his mother’s reaction to it. The story follows Harish (Vijay Shivakumar, who is also the writer), an engineering graduate hunting for a job in Bengaluru. After a long search, Harish finally receives an offer letter from his dream job, only to face the biggest shock of his life. The story turns to how he tries to balance his work and the daunting hurdle in his personal life, along with looking after his mother (played by Harini Shreekanth).
Describing the short as his most personal work yet, Pavan, who wrote the screenplay and directed it, says unemployment is an omnipresent and relatable concern, which is why he chose to direct it. “When Vijay came to me with the script, I realised this issue has upset a lot of people. Added to the stress of unemployment, there is health-related stress as well, leading to heart attacks and other lifestyle concerns.”
Pavan has been exposed to the film industry from a young age because of his father and grandfather. First Salary is his second short film and his fourth work overall. “I have done a documentary in 2020, a short film on Covid and an animation on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Everything I know about filmmaking, I have learnt from people who have been associated with the field,” he says.
‘First Salary’ stars Vijay Shivakumar, Harini Shreekanth and Trishool.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Speaking about the response the film has received (2.3 lakh views), Pavan says people on social media and YouTube have been very kind. To the film’s advantage, First Salary was also appreciated by Kannada actor Shruthi and producer Rockline Venkatesh.
However, Pavan faced a couple of challenges while shooting, he admits. “I had to moderate the length of the film. I had to ensure I kept the emotional scenes, synced them with music and restricted the short to a runtime of 24 minutes. My goal was to give people a good film, which was emotional and relatable.”
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We shot for five days, and then the post-production happened. Even though my father funded the project, I still had the responsibility to deliver, and I hope I did.”
Pavan says he has a few projects on the cards. “Many people reached out to me with different scripts for micro content and short films. I don’t want to restrict myself to one genre. I want to be creative and experimental with my choices.”
First Salary is available on the Raghavendra Chitravani YouTube channel.
Published – December 23, 2025 04:36 pm IST
