Malayalam short film ‘Meenukal’ blends fantasy and reality to explore a father-son bond

Achuth Giri’s short film, Meenukal, is literally a dream come true. The 19-minute short is based on a story he wrote after he had a dream.

Fantasy melds into reality in this work that reflects on the strained relationship between a father and his grown-up son. The son, who is emotionally distant from his father, wanders off to a mystical land post his office hours after he comes across a water-filled plastic bag with fish in it. He becomes a child by then and is happy in the company of the person he meets in the new world. In him the boy finds the father he has always wanted. This escapade eventually helps him break the ice with his father and create a new dynamic with him.