The short film opens with two friends sharing a drink; one is a more indulgent drinker, the other a bit wary, mostly for his friend's sake. Right at the start of the narrative, despite all the humour and jokes, there is a hint of a darker undertone. Remembering their past relationships, the two friends, played effortlessly by Satish Kaushik and Shishir Sharma, end up tussling on the floor over a phone. Immediately after, the tone of the scene changes from being lighthearted to one of secrecy, regrets and deep pain. When Tera Jaisa Yaar Kahan opens, it does not even remotely suggest the direction it's headed in. This indeed is one of the many highlights of this story of friendship, loss and the many forms of love.

Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan | Short Film of the Day

Sexuality, mental health, racism and dysfunctional Indian families - the film engages with all of these issues in a palatable manner without giving in to high-sounding jargon. Imagine the premise as a plot device equivalent of a person entering a room and yelling, "Sex!", immediately followed by, "Now that I have your attention, let's talk business". The film achieves this by centering the major chunk of its action around a hickey in clear view of the world on the fair skin of its protagonist. The film might come across as being overly sentimental or dramatic in some parts. However, that's not a flaw, but seems like a conscious choice on the part of the filmmakers with a very clear idea of who their viewer is. It talks about anxiety, the pressure to get married on women, domestic abuse and the burden of expectations on school students, and manages to keep its tone relatable all along. This ensures that the story rings loud and true with its viewer, allowing it to successfully communicate all that it has set out to.

Hickey | Short Film of the Day

By giving a confused terrorist as its protagonist, Faqr Hai talks about India as a nation to be loved, despite all its weakness and disadvantages. A terrorist, who is supposed to carry out an attack on the country, is left alone to research and educate himself about its history. Little does he know that an interesting development awaits him on the other side. Anil Mange, the comedic, clueless terrorist finally manages to reach a decision about his opinion on India. However, will it alter the course of the attack? The film does give in to sentimentalism towards the end, as is not uncommon of several films on the topic, but remains a light-hearted, well-intentioned product to be watched when the immediate reality of the nation disillusions you.

Faqr Hai | Short Film of the Day

The short film aspires to be a lot of things, but falls short in many ways. It under-utilises the potential of an actor as experienced as Jackie Shroff. However, despite its bad sound quality and an inept handling of the script, the film leaves the audience with a sense of hope and the idea that no matter, the show always goes on.

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