Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam: Rima Kallingal bags best actress award at Diorama International Film Festival

Actress Rima Kallingal bagged The Golden Sparrow Award for Best Actress at the Diorama International Film Festival, 2021. She was awarded for her impressively shot single-take movie Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam, helmed by Don Palathara. 

The movie stars Rima and Jitin Puthencherry, and is about a live-in couple in Kerala on their way to a doctor’s clinic to check a possible pregnancy. The entire movie is taken in a single shot, of 85 minutes, where the plot progresses through their conversations during their car ride. The movie became a matter of discussion after it was released a few months ago, with the director and his team receiving much applause for their extraordinary work.

“It feels good to receive the award for sure. It's a kind of validation, reassurance that your work still matters and the effort that a team puts in has been recognised,” Rima told Bee Cave Movies while sharing her happiness on receiving the award. She opined that the small group of people coming together to create something like Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam during the COVID-19 time shows how resourceful Malayalees are, as artists. 

She also added that many interesting movies with interesting scripts have come out in Kerala over the past couple of years, and she is extremely proud to be a part of one such project. She extended the credits of the award to the director, her co-actor and the creative team who made this possible.

Meanwhile, director Don Palathara revealed that the entire movie was shot four times, with the fifth being the final. The process was equally difficult for the lead actors, according to him, as there were no cuts between the takes. He also added that Rima understood the character well and gave a magnificent performance.

The movie has earned the attention of critics for its technical brilliance and the actors’ performance during its screening at IFFK 2021 and Moscow International Film Festival. It is after years that a Malayalam Cinema is shortlisted at the Moscow International Film Festival.

ALSO READ: Exclusive! Don Palathara: ‘I don’t intend to preach, I want to portray the complexities of people 

Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam is available on OTT platforms including Neestream, Cave, Roots, Saina Play, Mainstream, Filme and EventScape, to stream.