This Manoj Bajpayee-starrer is a short-film weaved together by trippy visuals and groovy music by Nucleya. Taandav contrasts the humour in tragedy and vice-versa, much like the reality of our day-to-day lives. It's an interesting comment on expectations, duties, responsibility and ethics. Throw in a polished performance by Bajpayee and an equally talented supporting cast and voila! The perfect piece of art is ready.

Taandav | Manoj Bajpayee | Short Film of the Day

Trigger warning: The purpose of art is to reflect all that is wrong with society, to trigger thoughts that lead to reformative action. Agli Baar succeeds in doing precisely that - holding up the mirror to a very ugly reality of the world we live in. Not for the emotionally fragile, the short film is for an audience which is willing to swallow the bitter truths of a society divided on the lines of religion, class and a mindlessly rigid sense of community. It further invokes the idea that while we may choose to ignore them and be mute spectators to the wrongs being done around us, we are not immune to the agents of evil which may target us next.

Agli Baar | Short Film of the Day

If spookiness gives you chills, this short film starring Nimrat Kaur and Divyendu Sharma, is not for you. It opens with Kaur getting startled by the sudden presence of her husband, played by Sharma. As the narrative progresses, the viewer realises that Sharma is a ghost, unable to let go of his wife even after his death. His struggle with loneliness also leads him to attempt to bump himself off (once again), but predictably, he fails every time. While the ghost follows his wife around, along with a fossilised bird, Elayichi maintains a good balance between eeriness and lightheartedness. Director Devashish Makhija earns a special mention for portraying the presence of a ghost in a woman's life as a tiresome, but mundane reality.

Elayichi | Short Film of the Day

WINNER, GENDER SENSITIVITY AWARD

SPECIAL SCREENING

OFFICIAL SELECTION - SATYAJIT RAY SHORT FILM COMPETITION

NOMINATION - BEST MOVIE NON FICTION

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Authentic, unique and extremely entertaining - the latest offering by filmmaker Devashish Makhija is surely all of this, and much more. The narrative takes us into the friendship of three women and portrays the myriad ways in which it gets tied with sexuality, loyalty, looking out for one another and lastly, but also quite importantly - the big O of a woman's life. 



The execution of the plot, which is marked by an element of magical realism, also attains a surreal quality as it presents itself to the viewer. The true triumph of the film, however, lies in the fact that the engagement with its concerns is carried out in a notably effortless manner, tying itself with the filmmaker's own comments about how the narrative came to be. Not taking itself too seriously, the relationships of the characters come across as effervescent, beautifully blending in this dance of rebellions in a small town, little transgressions, snatched and stolen moments of pleasure and joy, and how it is in these small moments indeed that life is weaved. 

The final result steers clear of any vulnerabilities the exploration of thematic underpinnings of the kind exposes a story to, leaving you with a colorful, uplifting, perhaps even educational, film at the end of it all.

Cheepatakadumpa | Devashish Makhija | Short Film of the Day

OFFICIAL SELECTION


Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival

SPECIAL SHOWCASE

OFFICAL SELECTION - INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Shot on a phone, with the entirety of the film constituted by simply three long takes, 'Cycle' is a brutal story about the path of revenge, and eventually, as the title suggests, the cycle of hate. The unbreakability of the latter once it has been set in motion serves as the backbone of the narrative. 
 An intense and extremely disturbing episode of sexual violence inflicted on an overpowered tribal woman is your first introduction to the world of the film.

Marked by conflict and unrest between local tribes, and the militant forces in an unnamed location (presumedly Chhattisgarh where people enjoy ant chutney), it is a reality of weapons, oppression and torture. If the purpose of art is to disturb, compelling you to engage in constructive thought which leads to reformative action, then 'Cycle' is indeed a crucial piece of art. It exposes not only the grotesqueness and nightmarish reality of extreme violence, but also the many far-reaching and adverse consequences of the same, while steering very clear of sentimentalism and voyeurism all along. 

The film will stay with you long after you are done watching it, and at the end of it all, it would have served its purpose of urging you to reflect on your lived reality as well as the experiences of those who inhabit a world far different from yours.

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