For Karen Kshiti Suvarna, storytelling is less about spectacle and more about something quietly powerful, emotional truth. As her debut feature ‘September 21’ heads to the Marché du Film at the Festival de Cannes, there is a sense of arrival. But listening to her speak, it feels less like a destination and more like a continuation of a journey that began with instinct, honesty, and a desire to connect.
“I think the emotional truth that it deals with, across all formats, is about the truth of society and the emotional and practical feelings one has to deal with when making tough decisions,” she says. “It’s about understanding perspectives, not just one, but both.”
That perspective has shaped her work from the very beginning. Her short film ‘Hide and Seek’, which went on to receive recognition at international festivals, was not built on scale or resources, but on intent. “It was made with utmost love,” she recalls. “It was something I made to prove myself.”
That proof turned into something more tangible. The film’s reception gave her not just visibility but belief. “It gave me confidence in my direction. And I think it made people trust that I could make a feature film. If given a chance, I could deliver.”
That trust finds its full expression in ‘September 21’, her first feature. But getting there meant navigating one of the most defining choices of her career so far. “When it comes to your first feature, you have to decide what kind of film you want to make. Do you go fully commercial or completely artistic?” she says. “I chose the middle path.”
It is a choice that reflects both clarity and caution. The film explores Alzheimer’s, a subject that demands sensitivity and restraint. “It’s a complicated and sensitive topic. You cannot treat it casually or just for entertainment. You have to be mature about it,” she explains. “I wanted the film to have meaning. I wanted people to watch it and feel, this is my story.”
That instinct to create relatability runs through her approach to filmmaking. For her, visual storytelling is not separate from narrative depth. It is an extension of it. “If your intentions with the narrative are clear, you can bring it out visually,” she says. “It’s not about balancing the two. It’s about expressing the narrative in the right visual form so that it doesn’t lose direction.”
There is a simplicity in the way she frames her process, but it comes with a clear sense of discipline. The story comes first. Everything else follows.
Premiering at Cannes, even within the industry-focused Marché du Film, marks a significant milestone for any filmmaker, more so for a debut. For Karen, it is both surreal and grounding. “It’s a very big deal for me. My first feature going to Cannes, it’s overwhelming,” she admits. “There’s that feeling of, is this really happening?”
Yet, even in that moment of recognition, her focus remains on what lies ahead. The evolving media landscape, she believes, offers space for different kinds of stories, but her intent is clear. “I do want to explore the commercial space,” she says. “But I also want to tell stories that have meaning.”
It is a balance she seems committed to holding onto. Not for the sake of positioning, but for the audience. “My basic requirement is that when someone watches my film, they feel like they are part of that world,” she says. “It shouldn’t feel distant or extraordinary. I want them to feel, that could be me.”
In many ways, that idea sits at the heart of her filmmaking philosophy. Stories that do not alienate, but invite. Narratives that do not just unfold on screen, but linger beyond it.
As she steps into the global spotlight with ‘September 21’, there is a sense that Karen Kshiti Suvarna is not chasing scale or spectacle. Instead, she is holding onto something far more enduring, the ability to tell stories that feel honest, human, and deeply personal.
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