The film is a quiet rumination on aging, the passage of time, and standing still as you watch the world change before your eyes and continue with its inexorable march. All of this is explored by the lament of a protagonist played most adroitly and skilfully by Naseeruddin Shah, who observes it all from his window. 

After having lived a life of hard work, one which even kept him from spending time with his son, his circumstance has slowed down now, leaving him only with this window and his thoughts for companionship. As he eschews modern technology, smartphones, and virtual contact, instead longing for more meaningful and intimate human interaction, the film comes into being. 

The narrative is constructed gingerly, bolstered by beautiful visuals, and supplementary colors that further invoke warmth and an intrinsic poignancy. The protagonist, and in turn, the film, however, is not marked by bitterness. Instead, only a lament on separation, on things changing too swiftly in their unalterable course, defines it. 

 There is an acceptance of this condition, but not devoid of sadness. A man’s relationship with his house, a space that stands for a life lived fully, complete with its losses and grief, as well as nostalgia, memory, and even strength, thus becomes the overarching force in the film. The narrative takes the form of a story of the old being replaced by the new, echoing the idea that while a life might end, the world continues to move forth, each individual going about their day as always.

Khidki | Short Film Nominee

Our first interaction with the film is marked by a sense of grief, bleakness and a woman sitting by herself in a shadowy room. The rest of the story then becomes a movement to this point by portraying all the events that preceded it. It introduces us to the said woman and her husband. They discuss the financial trouble their son is in due to the pandemic, and decide to help him out. 

After selling their house and whatever little jewellery they had collected throughout their lives, they head out to be with him. It is at this point that we are taken into Shrawan's life which is far from what his parents or the viewer has believed so far. Through high intensity drama and sentimentalism, the narrative shares its intentions with the audience.

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