MAMI Select: Rajisha Vijayan's short film Kovarty filmed on iPhone gets a release date

The Malayalam-language short film Kovarty, featuring Rajisha Vijayan in the lead role, is set to be released on YouTube on April 15. The announcement was made by the makers on Sunday via social media, along with the unveiling of the film’s poster. It shows a vintage typewriter with a single sheet of paper inserted, bearing the typed words: “Yours only...”. The caption accompanying the post read: “This is just not a poster drop; it’s a typed confession!”

According to the makers, Kovarty is “told through the voice of a typewriter, this is a tale of typed revolutions and blooming affections in a village in Kerala.” The film is directed by Rohin Raveendran Nair, who has also scripted it alongside Mukundan Unni Associates co-writer Vimal Gopalakrishnan. Bollywood cinematographers Swapnil S Sonawane (Jigra, Superboys of Malegaon, Badhaai Do) and Sunil R Borkar (The Fable) serve as directors of photography. The film is edited by Shweta Kamat, with background music composed by Ajay Kumar Jayanthi and Suraj Swarawagi. It is produced by Arya A Menon, Swapnil S Sonawane and Shubham Karna.

Kovarty is part of the MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone initiative, spearheaded by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), the body behind the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. It aims to empower emerging filmmakers by providing access to cutting-edge technology and mentorship from leading names in Indian cinema.

Following the success of last year’s edition, the 2025 group has expanded to reflect a wider linguistic and cultural spectrum. The selected filmmakers include Rohin, who represents Malayalam cinema under the mentorship of Lijo Jose Pellissery. Apart from Rohin, the lineup also has films by Amrita Bagchi (Hindi), mentored by Vikramaditya Motwane; Chanakya Vyas (Marathi), mentored by Konkona Sen Sharma; and Shalini Vijayakumar (Tamil), mentored by Vetri Maaran.

Rohin, born in Delhi with roots in Kerala, is a Mumbai-based writer-director. An FTII alumnus, his acclaimed works include the short feature The Booth (2019) and a directorial stint on the Netflix series Black Warrant, co-created by Vikramaditya Motwane.

Rajisha’s upcoming feature slate includes two Tamil films: Sardar 2, the sequel to the Karthi-starrer Sardar, and Mari Selvaraj–Dhruv Vikram’s Bison Kaalamaadan.