The short film is beautifully inspired by Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis in which the protagonist wakes up to find himself transformed into a cockroach. Borrowing the same metaphor, it attempts to show how humans are no less than insects in an arbitrary, murky world of poverty, chronic diseases, and the constant struggle to survive. The color palette of the visuals is of dirty greens, browns, and greys, to further invoke a sense of filthiness associated with insects, or humans who are not rendered any more valuable than them in a society where a father and his son fight with the latter's oral cancer. Amidst these hues of dirt and filth, the red scarf of the boy stands out. It perhaps serves to draw the viewer's attention to how he comes to be the only voice of hope in the narrative. However, this voice is soon snuffed out since a bright crimson has no place amidst illness and pain, a folly that will be realized immediately, but not soon enough.

Metamorphosis | Short Film of the Month

The opening music offers a sweet vibe. A friendly looking, young man, confesses his love to the camera.
He is rehearsing a proposal for his childhood best friend. Reading from his
notes, and breaking into smiles for the camera, he is rehearsing his sincerity. The music soon becomes delightful, conveying his
confidence that the girl he’s in love with, his best friend, is going to say ‘yes’! 
But the film is sub-titled 'a tangled tale' for a reason. The screenplay deftly picks up words, image and
memory of one (the boy), and connects them with the other (the girl), like a thread, tying one end with
the other. However, the more the episodes collate, the more knots the thread gets entangled in.
Relationships are complex. Matters of the heart are not easy. 
But the film tries to tread these arduous paths softly, delicately and with hope; just as the path to love is
supposed to be. Take a leap of faith, a sweet surprise awaits you!

Thread | Short Film of the Day

The film builds itself around Pawan and Gunja’s love story. The opening scene establishes the intimacy and affection the two share. However, soon a reality unfolds which is in direct contrast to the romance conjured so far. 

Gunja is trapped in a loveless marriage where she has had little to no say in her decisions right from the beginning. Pawan, on the other hand, struggles to create a life where he can attain union with his beloved. The film, thus develops to not only give a glimpse into their love story but also ropes in unexpected and completely shocking moments of thrill, violence, and things going terribly awry. 

The chemistry of the actors, which constitute this fateful love triangle, brings to life skilled performances, that bolster the narrative markedly. The choice of the background score and original soundtrack also evidence investment of thought, and competitiveness, all of which together ensure that the final result is an engaging ride that will keep the viewer involved right till the end.

Jaan-e-Jahaan | Short Film of the Day

‘Love in Kalimpong’ is a mellow story of love found in an unexpected place during an even more unexpected encounter. Its pacing is consistently calm and sustained all along. The narrative introduces us to Rishi first who is visiting Kalimpong with his fellow band members for a performance. 

As they explore the region, he runs into Iris, a talented, mysterious musician who draws him deeper and deeper into her world. What follows next is a story defined by anger, emotions, song and music, and a neat tying together of all of these elements. 

The film loses a few points when it comes to the seamlessness of its sound department but remains marked by earnestness throughout, along with an unmissable, sincere portrayal of Iris by Rajeswari.

Love in Kalimpong | Short Film Nominee

The world of 'Jasmine' is dark, shadowy and constituted by tales of the supernatural. Alina, a single mother in Kalimpong inhabiting her ancestral property with her daughter Jasmine, often hosts men as guests in her homestay. Implicit in this are the sexual liaisons that are shared between the host and her guests. 

Once the premise has been established, the story begins with the arrival of Kush all the way from Delhi. As the plot progresses, young Jasmine is located at the heart of the developing drama, revealing to both Kush and the viewer a world of violent rituals, sacrifices and human skulls, all in the name of a deity that requires appeasement by a terrible annual act. 

The film notably blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction, with a dual narrative coming into existence between Jasmine and her mother. Uncertainty engulfs the plot, making it a defining aspect, leaving the viewer with multiple versions of the truth, and in the process, foiling their desires of a neat conclusion in a deliberate, and entertaining manner.

Jasmine | Short Film of the Day

Right ahead of her wedding, Suhana, an aspiring comedian, finds herself submerged in a stinky soup. A video of one of her performances has gone viral. Expletives smoothly fall off her tongue as part of the act. However, her fiance, Rupak sees each of them as chipping away at the reputation of his family. In between proclamations of love, both made and demanded, Suhana is forced to apologize to his family, promising not to repeat her actions. 

 From the scene of a fancy wedding, where the families have gone all out with their blazing guns, leaving no stone unturned in conjuring the fanfare, to a standup video defined by its graphic language to a would-be-bride who finds herself face-to-face with the most crucial dilemma of her life, the film paints several emotions and ideas and presents them to the viewer. Though the actors all seem to exhibit potential, it somehow remains untapped after a point, along with the presence of a few rough edges in the department of sound. 

As for Suhana and Rupak, there is still more to be said about their relationship and the imminent marriage, and the film echoes it all. Along with this, Suhana's brother Roshan, and a soon-to-be unearthed character, Lokesh Chaturvedi, have their indispensable parts to play as well in this sweet, humorous and well-intentioned story about dreams, passions, social pressures and finding within yourself the courage to finally come into your own.

Raghav Diwan

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