The narrative of the film is short, concise, and above all, unforgettably powerful. It starts off at a harmless note of a young woman making a recipe video for perhaps a video blog. However, the actual concern she is trying to draw her viewers' attention to immediately shocks you. It further serves as a jarring reminder of how the most atrocious, cruel acts hide in plane sight, maybe in the house of a seemingly average couple. The film also highlights the disturbing reality of the increase in cases of domestic violence and abuse that several women are being subjected to as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. All in all, the film puts forth its message in a simple, yet intelligent manner which is precisely what makes it deeply impactful.

Smoked Chicken Gravy | Short Film of the Day

‘Rubaroo’ applies an interesting approach to its visual development which ensures that the punch of the film truly lands. The plot has set out to convey an important social message, one about cruel, brutal acid attacks carried out against women in India. 

The communication of the message is achieved with swift narratorial progression, as well as a strong performance, most crucial for the triumph of the film. Together the various elements come forth to present a powerful narrative which, in turn, succeeds in telling an urgent story.

Rubaroo | Short Film of the Day

The importance of art, if it intends to be the fountainhead of societal change, is its ability to simplify and put forth complex ideas, intricacies and nuances of our lived reality. Raja Beta succeeds precisely in achieving that, in holding up the mirror to the patriarchal oppression and discrimination in Indian society. Coupling animated visuals, devoid of clutter or garrulousness, with a skilled, lucid and comprehensive voiceover, the film puts forth its narrative, one that questions an Indian family's biases and hypocrisy manifested in the manner in which they raise their sons and daughters. The film further calls out internalised misogyny and perpetration of rape culture that we often encourage unconsciously in our day-to-day lives. Its message is shared with the viewer in no equivocal terms, allowing the film to be a relevant and much-needed comment on our deeply flawed approach in understanding and handling gender.

Raja Beta | Short Film of the Day

The strongest aspect of the film is the humane element it manages to capture and utilise not only for the benefit of a pleasurable viewing experience of the audience, but more importantly, also for serving a social purpose. It thus succeeds at doing its bit to work towards normalising identities of those living with a disability, enhanced further by a skilled performance of the protagonist. The story is of selfie attempts of a young girl, aided by her family. A perfectly normal experience, it is also portrayed as one without giving in to sentimentalism or maudlin developments at the expense of the quality of the plot and its execution. Finally, Anokhee concludes with a reminder and a request to endeavour to help someone in need with perhaps a little effort on the part of the viewer.

Anokhee | Short Film of the Day

The primary concern of the film is the compelling issue of exploring what freedom truly means, and its intricate relationship with the absence of fear. Once the narrative has conjured its idea of freedom for you, it moves forth to portray it in a concise manner by introducing us to a couple. 

The smiling lovers suddenly become very unsure of their safety in a public space like a roadside. The narrative heightens tension, only to puncture it in a way that presents its message about our contemporary reality loudly and clearly. The story is further taken home by competent performances who communicate it all with a frugal, but unequivocal verbal exchange.

Azaadi Mubarak | Short Film Nominee

Employing poetry as an indispensable pillar of its narrative, the film engages with the disturbing issue of abusive relationships. As a poet performs her lines, the words are interweaved with the account of a real life emotional and domestic abuse survivor - a woman who had followed a man into a love marriage only to realise the folly of it all. Speak Up uses poetry and the story of its other protagonist that is developing efficiently to raise important questions about women's location in society, in particular, and the struggles of anyone who might find themselves trapped in a toxic, dysfunctional relationship, in general. However, despite the powerful stories it brings to the fore, along with notable visual skill, the conclusion of the film deprives the viewer of a gradual and organic closure.

Speak Up | Short Film Nominee

The film endeavours to be a relevant comment on systemic misogyny, internalised patriarchy and the consequent, deep infestation of rape culture in the country. It would be erroneous to expect a nuanced, subtle commentary here, instead the narrative is meant as a simple, direct conversation with the viewer. Sincere and honest in its attempt to talk of a cruel, barbaric reality where the most heinous sexual assaults have become commonplace, Express Yourself does its bit to add to the conversation on gender. The idea and its execution is further supplemented by Sonu Nigam's powerful voice, along with interviews with two activists on the front lines of the battle against patriarchy and sexism, allowing the documentary to put forth its views in a notable manner.

Express Yourself | Sonu Nigam | Short Film Nominee

The ad film is a simple reminder for the viewer to share a little of what they have with someone who might not possess the same. The idea is to inspire them to pledge their eyes so that one day they may be of help to another person in need. This premise is realised by weaving together responses of several people from different walks of life. What the film succeeds in achieving is the variety of inputs from across the spectrum in terms of gender, age groups, nationalities, and cultural and social locations. It is simple and direct in sharing its intentions with the viewer, leaving them with a positive message about their duty and responsibility towards society. This is further coupled with a glimpse of people's understanding of the darkness that accompanies night, also echoing a sighted person's comprehension of the reality of someone leading their life without the sense of vision.

The Sound of Night | Short Film Nominee

“Creating a culture of fear around freedom of expression creates a culture of intolerance. Creating a
culture of intolerance grows violence,” says singer, model Monica Dogra as she opens the video. Her
comment is clearly a scathing critique of our cultural climate that has witnessed increasing polarisation in the
last few years. Through the cases of
censorship and assaults on artists in the past, the film tries to elucidate this point. However, the narrative would have benefited from a little more nuance and focus on its subject matter, allowing it to be a deeper, more incisive and inclusive commentary on the same.

Express Yourself | Monica Dogra | Short Film Nominee

Vidya has just gone through a break-up. Like any average person, she takes a trip with her friends to get past her
feelings of hurt and heartbreak. To help elevate her self-esteem, she posts pictures on social media. 
The video presents a comment on this behaviour where individuals today choose to flee feelings
through distraction rather than do the hard work of honest self-introspection. Vidya posts images of her
wide grins with captions that boast of joy and delight, when she is actually deeply unhappy and miserable. Her former lover,
on the other end, who is equally miserable, is stalking her and inflicting self-harm on himself, but wouldn’t dare to let her
know of his true condition. 
The film neither judges nor shames either, but with due commitment observes the hopeless and
widening gap between our virtual and real lives.

Like. Share. Subscribe | Short Film Nominee

Blazing gunshots and blaring police sirens welcome the viewer into a war-time zone. A helpless,
pregnant woman, caught amidst a conflict she didn’t choose to be part of, is already a clear casualty.
As she lies, defeated, in a foetal position, she prays for peace for her unborn child. In a world ravaged by war, what would be the fate of the life growing within her, one who's asked by her to never leave the safety of her womb? By raising questions like these, the film aspires to be a comment on human society where peace seems like a forlorn dream.

Maaz Kazmi

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