PETALING JAYA: Yuktesh has a problem. Sitting next to a woman who believes in true love and soulmates, he hides an inconvenient truth – his long list of exes.
For a while, the lie works. Then, seconds later, something strange happens. His tongue begins to twist, and soon, much to his horror, he is unable to speak. Which begs the question: if lies suddenly exposed themselves, who would survive?
That is the world of “3SM 3 Sollu Mattumtha”, a nine-episode Malaysian Tamil miniseries shot entirely on an iPhone 15 Pro, supported by a RM50 wireless microphone, a RM99 ND filter set for outdoor scenes, and free editing software.
“I just wanted to motivate young filmmakers that you can actually start making short films with your mobile phone without relying on fancy equipment,” said filmmaker Karthik Shaamalan, 39.
“What’s important is your time, a good script, proper planning, good acting, and of course, a strong story.”
The fantasy-romcom stars Loga Varman, Dharshamini Kesavan, Thia Lakshana, Suriyan Magissan, Ruvela, Subatra, Tharane and Ratna Gowri, with music composed by Hari Mahendran.
New episodes will premiere every Monday and Thursday at 6pm via the Scifilm YouTube channel, in collaboration with Unitar.
For Karthik – whose works include “C 4 Cinta“, Malaysia’s highest-grossing Tamil film – the project began with a question that had little to do with cameras and everything to do with excuses.
Every two months, he invites local filmmakers to submit their work, and often receives 30-40 short films that he watches and responds to personally. Over time, he noticed a pattern.
“Whenever I asked them about the audio quality, they’d say, ‘I don’t have proper mics; I can’t afford microphones, cameras or other fancy equipment’,” he shared.
To Karthik, something far more important was being overlooked.
“Most of them were missing the point: the heart of a short film has always been the story. Storytelling is what’s important at the end of the day, and this is what’s lacking in many of our short films today.”
He has heard every variation of the argument before. Young creators point to polished productions and expensive cameras and conclude that better equipment naturally mean better storytelling.
“They start taking that as a reason for not doing better,” Karthik said. So, instead of trying to convince them with words, he decided to make something that removed every excuse possible.
Initially, he only wanted to create a short film using a phone. The idea eventually evolved into a nine-episode series built for YouTube audiences with a shoestring budget of less than RM200.
“I am not going to say that this is the best quality you can make – but I can at least say that this is the least you can do with the camera itself,” Karthik noted.
The production itself was far from effortless. Filming stretched across 11 days, with shoots running roughly 12 hours each day.
Around Kuala Lumpur, the team moved through accessible everyday locations – roadside spots, houses, and familiar public spaces that aspiring creators could realistically use themselves.
What viewers never see is the work before filming began. Karthik and his team spent two to three weeks in pre-production, carrying the phone to locations and repeatedly testing how the camera reacted under different conditions.
Ironically, shooting on a phone brought its own challenges, from autofocus issues to precise staging – and at times, Karthik would even forget they were filming on a phone at all.
“After I said ‘cut!’, I’d start looking for my camera, only for my assistant to remind me that we were filming with my phone!” Karthik laughed.
“We even had to pause a shoot once because I needed to answer a call on the phone we were using.”
Ultimately, Karthik hopes young filmmakers walk away with something simpler upon watching “3SM Sollu Matthumtha”.
“Don’t just focus on gadgets. Invest your time in a good story. Storytelling and creativity should always come first.”
