This crowdfunded short film, which dealt with the theme of loneliness in old age, was a major success, with four houseful screenings at Chamundeshwari Studios.
Published Jul 09, 2025 | 1:46 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 09, 2025 | 1:46 PM
A still from the film 'Senior'. (Supplied)
In a film industry often driven by big budgets and big names, the team of short film Senior took an entirely different route— crowdfunding.
This crowdfunded short film, which dealt with the theme of loneliness in old age, was a major success, with four houseful screenings at Chamundeshwari Studios.
It was also showcased at several film festivals, including the Ahmedabad Film Festival, and held multiple special screenings across colleges and old age homes. The short film is now available on KRG Connects official YouTube page.
Rupesh SK, the director and actor, speaking about the route they chose said, “There are no promised returns in short films, and we didn’t know any producers who would be up for this. So, we resorted to crowdfunding,” adding, “Of the people, for the people, and by the people.”
“But we felt it wouldn’t be fair to just put up a poster and ask for money. So, using our limited camera gear—and with zero budget—we created a 6–7 minute crowdfunding pitch video and shared it across social media. Gradually, the funds started coming in. We also released a promo song, which received a great response,” he further explained.
He shared that a wide range of people supported their project—family, friends, and even complete strangers. “We added a QR code for payments at the end of the video, and many used it to contribute.”
“One of our first donors was someone named S. Raghavendra Reddy. He contributed via Google Pay, but we couldn’t trace him since the full number isn’t visible. We even checked our mutual contacts but still couldn’t identify him.”
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Speaking of the making, Rupesh elaborated, “We never really hit a low point, but it took longer than expected because we didn’t want to just upload it to YouTube—we aimed for the big screen, so it had to be perfect.”
“We planned it well: the first round of funds went to production, and a year later, we shared a progress video to raise a second round for post-production,” he added.
The project took over a year to complete. “It would’ve been faster if we had more funding,” Rupesh noted.
“One of the toughest challenges after choosing crowdfunding was the pressure that came with it. There’s always pressure, but here, people were aware and growing restless. We wanted to satisfy them not just with the final product but throughout the journey. That’s where our progress video really helped,” he recalled.
‘Senior’ deals with themes of loneliness in old age. (Supplied)
During their theatre days, Rupesh’s friend Ganesh—who originally came up with the story idea—told him about an old man living alone in a PG. That real-life moment inspired the lead character in Senior, which eventually grew into a widely appreciated film.
The film was screened at several old-age homes. “One moment that really stayed with me was when a resident said, ‘What if we end up lonely like that? We can’t let that happen—we need to talk more, build a community.’ It was heartening to see how the film was already shaping their mindset,” Rupesh shared.
“When we tell people this was made with zero budget, just experience and trust—it gives us hope. The crowd believed in us, and we delivered. Imagine what we can do with stronger beginnings,” he added, hinting that he’s already working on something even more exciting for the audience.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
