UNITAR and Joshua Michael bring classroom creativity to festive brand storytelling with Tamil Deepavali film ‘Sattham’

UNITAR International University has collaborated with content creator, producer and influencer Joshua Michael on Sattham (சத்தம்). This Tamil-language Deepavali short film places a classroom creativity challenge at the centre of a story about family, memories and belonging.

Meaning “Sound”, Sattham follows Mr Raman, a lecturer who challenges his students to rethink festive storytelling after they present him with a conventional, overly dramatic Deepavali advertisement. As they search for a more authentic idea, they discover that their lecturer has a story of his own.

The 14-minute film combines comedy, satire and emotional storytelling to explore a familiar experience: the sounds of family celebrations that can feel overwhelming yet become deeply missed in their absence.

For UNITAR, the collaboration brings its educational identity into the narrative itself. The classroom becomes a space where students question familiar ideas, respond to feedback and discover how personal experiences can inspire meaningful creative work.

Timothy Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer of UNITAR Education Group, said the campaign reflects the university’s ambition to connect with audiences through stories that express its character and purpose.

“Education has the power to ignite curiosity and give people the confidence to explore their ideas. In Sattham, that spark begins with a lecturer challenging his students to look beyond the obvious and discover a story worth telling.

“Deepavali also reminds us of the warmth we bring into one another’s lives. We wanted that warmth to radiate through a story rooted in Malaysian experiences, with humour and relationships that audiences can recognise. This collaboration gives creative expression to what UNITAR stands for: encouraging people to find their voice and helping their potential shine,” he said.

Joshua Michael served as creative lead and producer, overseeing story development, screenplay, creative direction and execution with the production team. He previously collaborated with UNITAR on the web series BADEP.

“From the beginning, we wanted to play with familiar festive advertising conventions while telling a story with genuine emotional weight. Making the lecturer, students and classroom central to the narrative gave the collaboration a meaningful connection to UNITAR,” said Joshua.

“Ultimately, Sattham is about the things we take for granted. The conversations, laughter and noise of Deepavali can feel chaotic, but they are also the sounds of belonging. We hope audiences enjoy the humour and leave thinking differently about their own celebrations.”

Established Malaysian actor Ganesan Manohgaran plays Mr Raman. The cast also includes Hashaanthan, Aiswarya, Pugeal, Gunamax, Marie Dashani, Mohan Chandra Dass and Bibiana Anthony. Casting focused on believable relationships, comedic timing, and the ability to convey the story’s emotional nuances.

Natural, conversational Tamil preserves the cultural context of the characters, while English subtitles make the film accessible to audiences from different backgrounds.

UNITAR supported the production through campus access, coordination, and collaboration throughout development and filming. The production team contributed expertise across cinematography, performance, art direction, editing, sound design, and post-production.

While Sattham tells a complete story, the team is exploring a microdrama series featuring its characters, extending the collaboration into more stories about campus life and student experiences.

“I commend UNITAR for continually pushing its creative boundaries and finding fresh, sometimes unconventional ways to connect with audiences. Its willingness to explore emerging social media formats shows an understanding of how relevant, engaging content can bring a university’s story to life and make it relatable to its target audience.”

Watch Sattham:

SATTHAM (சத்தம்) | Official Deepavali Film | Joshua Michael | UNITAR Deepavali 2026