Journalist-turned-filmmaker Sunayana Suresh is making her mark in independent Kannada cinema. Her short film Mouna Raaga won an award at the second edition of the Avala Hejje Women’s Kannada Short Film Festival. The film received the Goodininda Gaganadedege special category award, which recognizes stories focused on identity, existence, and personal exploration.
This recognition is another achievement in Mouna Raaga’s journey since its release earlier this year.
The Avala Hejje festival aims to celebrate and support women filmmakers in Kannada cinema. It has quickly become an important venue for new voices and independent storytelling. For Mouna Raaga, the festival award adds to its growing list of accomplishments.
Released independently on Sunayana’s YouTube channel, the short film has garnered over 2.35 lakh views, even though the channel had only about 1,000 subscribers at that time.
“When we released Mouna Raaga, I honestly thought it would reach a small audience and vanish like many independent shorts do. We had no marketing budget or celebrity support, and it was uploaded on my own channel, which had only around 100 subscribers back then. So every view, comment, and message felt very personal,” Sunayana says.
She adds that the audience's response confirmed her belief that people want emotionally honest storytelling.
“The love the film received made me realize there is definitely an audience for stories told by women. There is a demand for stories grounded in emotional honesty instead of formula. People often think intimate films cannot reach a broad audience, but Mouna Raaga proved them wrong. Audiences are more open to vulnerability and subtle storytelling than we sometimes believe.”
Set in the emotional spaces between relationships and unexpressed feelings, Mouna Raaga has been praised for its writing and mood-driven narrative. Many viewers valued its choice not to sensationalize emotions, which Sunayana notes was deliberate.
“I never wanted the film to shout its emotions. Silence was also one of the characters. The goal was to capture the things people find hard to say and the emotional distance that can occur even between those who care for each other."
The award won at the Avala Hejje Festival is particularly meaningful to Sunayana because of the category’s focus.
“The fact that Mouna Raaga won in a category about identity, existence, and personal exploration feels incredibly special. Those themes are core to the film. It’s humbling and encouraging to have this recognized by a jury and a festival dedicated to promoting women’s voices.”
As discussions about women-led storytelling and representation in Kannada cinema gain traction, Sunayana believes these platforms are vital. “Festivals like Avala Hejje matter because they create visibility and build community. Many women filmmakers are sharing deeply personal, unconventional stories but often lack spaces to showcase them. As these platforms expand, the ecosystem becomes healthier.”
While Mouna Raaga continues to participate in festivals and pursue awards, Sunayana is already looking ahead. She is developing multiple feature scripts and preparing for her feature directorial debut.
“I have several stories ready, and they are all very different in emotion and tone. Right now, I’m trying to find out which story feels like the right first step into feature filmmaking because your debut stays with you forever. I want to embark on this journey with something I truly believe in,” she says. “I’m not rushing to make a feature just for the sake of it. I want my first film to genuinely reflect my voice.”
