Watch: Dubai filmmaker explores lottery craze, friendship, and fortune in new short film 'EK Kahani - A Dubai Story'

If you’re a UAE resident, pooling money for a lottery ticket with your office colleagues or friends, hoping to win the jackpot and become overnight millionaires, isn’t uncommon. A Dubai-based filmmaker has tapped into this universal desire for instant wealth in his new short film.

Titled ‘Ek Kahani - A Dubai Story’, the Malayalam-language short film is set in Dubai and chronicles the dynamics between two friends from different social classes. Every month, they pool their money to buy a ticket, seeking a life-changing windfall.

In the film, one of the characters, a banker, doesn’t pay for his share of the ticket, despite his childhood friend working for a lower salary at a local cafeteria, covering for him each month. However, one fine day, they win the lottery, raising questions about whether the less fortunate friend will share in the spoils. This adds another interesting twist to the drama. ‘Ek Kahani’, which has already garnered 269,000 views on YouTube since its release two weeks ago, explores themes of friendship, greed, integrity, and the enduring allure of winning the lottery against slim odds.

“Our short film ‘Ek Kahani ...’, which means ‘one story’, was shot in Dubai, mostly in Karama, and is inspired by a real story of two friends who frequently buy tickets for the Big Ticket lottery,” said Anoop Kumbanad in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.

“Just like the plot in our short film, where one character is a bank manager while his less fortunate friend covers the entire share of their ticket costs, this scenario played out in real life. I thought it would make for a great film because what would the guy who footed the Dh500 lottery ticket bill do — will he split his fortune of over Dh20 million? I found the premise fascinating,” he added.

The short film opens with a young Malayali banker being scolded by his wife for wasting money on lotteries with friends who are not from their own social circle and class. However, dynamics soon shift.

Director Kumbanad, who has been working as a resource manager with an energy technology company in Dubai for the last 17 years, moonlights as a filmmaker and writer. He is keen to make movies that reflect the lives of expatriates in the UAE. Having lived here for nearly two decades, he believes his immigrant experience is a treasure trove of filming ideas.

“This film is a Dubai story. This short movie is based on the dreams and aspirations of a common man living in this metropolis. Many expats have been buying lotteries together, hoping to change their lives ... The film also presents a moral dilemma, with winners wondering if they should honour their initial agreements to split the fortunes,” said Kumbanad.

For ‘Ek Kahani’, he enlisted two Dubai-based radio jockeys, Maya and Anjana, to play crucial roles, led by actors Sajin Ali Pulakkal (Ashraf) and Vijil. The latter is a local blogger, while Pulakkal is an aspiring actor in Dubai.

“It’s a Dubai story told by those in Dubai. We did an audition before selecting these talents. The conflict, strained relationships, and the eternal dream of winning the lottery are all explored in ‘Ek Kahani’. This short film will provide insights into the effects of money on relationships when confronted with life-altering windfalls. ‘Ek Kahani’ is a thought-provoking film about a common man,” he added.