The film has a very notable quality of not giving it away at first glance what it's truly about. As two characters begin their banter, which eventually leads to a more intense and serious discussion, the viewer realises that this is not a simple story of a woman moving into a new house, and a man, perhaps a lover, helping her with the process. 
 
Aisha and Kabir share both an intimate and bitter past. However, affection does not always convey a happy ending or union. The film explores the same, as it lays bare the many intricacies of a relationship between two people where love could not be enough. 
The two characters are brought to life with remarkable performances that strongly bolster the writing and screenplay. Essentially a heartfelt slice-of-life story, the narrative manages to do justice to its many components, presenting a balanced whole to the audience.

Ghar | Short Film Nominee

The film presents an endearing story about a family that is just about to catch a flight to attend a wedding. In this moment of urgency, several emotional undercurrents are taking form. What begins as a haphazard rush to find ancestral earrings soon leads to crucial conversations that reveal a new side to relationships that the characters, or even the viewer, might not have been aware of at first glance. 



There is a sense of the past that the film invokes, while also looking ahead at the future. The manner adopted to do this demands introspection, all along being tied together by love, and the intention to do right by those you hold close. The narrative mixes drama with humor, serious emotional exchanges with banter, and in the process, presents a wholesome story of familial love and affection. Though a few rough edges remain in terms of the overall production, the strong performances, notable chemistry, and storytelling make them easy to overlook.

Der Se Hi Sahi | Short Film Nominee

The music video conjures a world of romance and relationships, a vignette of fond memories that two people, deeply in love, shared with each other. However, the memories are presented in a manner that conveys the love story ceased to exist a while ago, and now only remains in the protagonist’s past. 

The vocals bring to life a sense of sincere love which, though short-lived, was meaningful and heartwarming. The chemistry of the actors is palpable and easy, and is interwoven with the song that narrates their story. As the protagonist reflects on what once was, his present, albeit not without longing and heartache, remains defined by the warmth of the past. The end result, in the process, becomes a devoted glimpse into a world of intimacy, affection and playfulness, and something quite the opposite that has been left in its wake.

Beparwah | Short Film Nominee

The film takes us into an unfortunate but all-too-familiar reality of a woman’s life. During a bus ride, a mundane afternoon turns deeply disturbing for an unsuspecting woman who is sexually harassed on a bus. The perpetrator soon moves on to his next victim, and as the narrative follows him, a much darker reality appears to be imminent. 

Though there is a limitation of resources, the screenplay construction and the performances ensure that it does not hinder the storytelling, and the viewer is fully involved in the narrative. The progression of events might be disturbing, but the audience is unable to look away as each development is controlled and efficient. 
At the film’s conclusion, consistent with its tonality, a dark event awaits, but one that turns all expectations the viewer might have had on their head.

Creeper | Short Film Nominee

Shorted

The film is a fantastical engagement with a little boy’s grief and his iron resolve to ensure he finds a way back to his mother. While negotiating his fate with the sea, the mammothian entity that took his mother, our young protagonist is transported to a magical realm. Here, as he strikes a bargain with Lord Ganesha, the narrative comes into its own, using mythology and fantasy to talk of love, tragic loss, and the treacherous path that lies ahead of the little boy. 
The surreal realm, constructed entirely in Sanskrit and with meticulous care, is replete with metaphors and symbolism that demand the audience’s undivided attention to fully decipher and grasp their meaning. The film further employs a remarkable background score, alongside an originality of visual progression, both tied together seamlessly, to portray all of this and some more for the viewer.

The Eyes of Truth | Short Film Nominee

Armed with a lovely screenplay and visuals, the film is an ode to slow living and the joy of doing it at home one summer. 
 
The film gives a glimpse into one such day of the protagonist as she spends a summer at her parents’ home after a decade. Her day is defined by eating wholesome food, napping to the sound of rain, dreaming about mangoes, cuddling with her dogs, and the decision to simply not run after a soulless job which gave her no joy, peace, or fulfilment. Whether or not anyone is able to make sense of that choice is not on Ria’s mind. This becomes evident in her replies when she is asked about her decision over phone calls with speakers we never see on screen. 

Long, sustained shots, consistent with the film’s thematic concerns, portray all of this for the viewer. The tonality is maintained throughout, as a mellowness defines the film, acquiring almost a dreamlike quality in a world where moving at breakneck speed has become the norm.

The Taste of Summer | Short Film Nominee

Equipped with an economy of dialogue and visuals that are sustained with patience, the short film is a reflection on isolation and loneliness. It further presents the unexpected paths that Bittu and Shalu find themselves going on without realising. 

The story takes us first into Bittu's life; he is a bus driver in a quiet corner of Himachal Pradesh. His life is defined by marital turmoil and the mundaneness of his days. Parallel to this, in a farther removed corner is Shalu, who leads an existence of control and strict familial structures, spending her days in silence and duty. When the two stumble across each other, an unexpected bond begins to form, and the narrative and the screenplay do a well-paced job of presenting an organic portrayal of the same. The performances further bolster the endeavor. 

When the friendship is just about to develop into something more meaningful, ideological differences about the ideas of caste and how they translate into one's lived reality afflict this equation. In the process, the film offers a relevant comment on how politics and one's differing approaches can completely alter an equation. The question that remains intrinsic to the narrative is whether our two characters would be able to overcome this chasm and find a common ground. The end result is a notable exploration of the same, presenting a definitive answer as the story concludes.

Do Sadkaan | Short Film Nominee

Sampat and Ajit sit late into the night while the rest of the island celebrates a festival, one that marks the last night before business and trade begin the following morning after a long gap. The brief exchange between the two is sufficient to establish the power dynamic for the viewer clearly. Soon, the night takes a very strange turn when they end up at Sampat’s house, followed by something violent and bloody. 

The subsequent story is marked by its voice, which conjures an intriguing, deeply involving world. The performances support it competently, alongside the endeavor to experiment with its visual grammar as well, even if a little inconsistent briefly. The end result remains true to the film’s tonality and approach throughout, presenting to the audience a dark, gory world of ever-changing power dynamics, the monsters that lurk in the shadows, and those around who enable these monsters.

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