Manorath, which translates to desire or heart's hope, is a lovely, quiet story about an overlap of urban and rural sensibilities, the fleeting moment when they seem to have reached a common plane and the swift shattering of this space. The storytelling adopted to communicate the thought is not one marked by garishness or loud devices. Instead, in the same vein as that of a soulful Rabindranath Tagore narrative, for it is indeed The Postmaster by him that serves as the inspiration for the short film, it conveys its intentions and motivations. When a photographer visits a village for a work project, he finds himself striking an unlikely friendship with a ten-year-old girl. The latter helps the former make some sense of a territory formerly unknown to him where the only pass-time available is to visit a nearby river. However, despite his sleek gadgets and experiences of a city-life, he is unable to grasp how little these things mean for a girl who only seeks friendship and affection, and not any material gains he might secure for her. The film is notably lucid in conveying the same, leaving no doubt in the viewer's mind about its core message, in the process, allowing itself to be a successful final result.

Manorath | Short Film of the Day

A woman arrives at an unknown location, all by herself, to meet a strange man. This is the image which is offered to the viewer right at the start of the film. She is unsure, worried and deeply afraid of something, and yet, she continues her endeavor - interviewing a serial killer, a mentally unbalanced, deranged man who has a past of violence, both inflicted on and by him. 

The film employs a limited physical space, the entirety of the conversation unfolding without the characters moving from their position right until the end. And yet the fear and unease that the narrative manages to instill in the viewer is powerful and notable. Consequently, Atrangi becomes a product that simply utilizes its writing and performances to invoke an atmosphere of horror. 

 A sense of something sinister being afoot never leaves you throughout the film, making you deeply concerned about the fate of the woman who sits before this man who, on the other hand, is recounting all his crimes and acts of cruelty with absolute nonchalance. It is in this use of few resources, minus any garish tools and devices, to successfully communicate its story, that the true success of the film lies, keeping you engaged and involved all along. The film could have gained from more control on the lucidity of its visuals. However, the uncertainty about the fate of the characters preoccupies you instead of its technical aspects, further ensuring that when the revelation finally arrives, it is a conclusion befitting the premise set so far.

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