The comment Anikashta makes is one of increasing relevance, especially in a world where conversation around discrimination and marginalization is gaining more prominence every single day. A man has arrived at the office of a busy property dealer to look for a house. Their discussion seems to be developing smoothly until the latter asks the former his name. The answer determines his religious identity, and along with it, ushers in stereotypes, bias and prejudice. The short film, thus, becomes an endeavor in invoking the hollowness of it all and the manner in which they come to negatively, and sometimes, adversely affect sincere and dedicated attempts of minorities to throw off the shackles of discrimination in India.

Anikashta | Short Film Nominee

The film ties up several relevant concerns, especially in contemporary times, to present forth relatable characters and stories. It opens on a note when a young man is meeting his elder sister and her friend to discuss their own respective issues. It is the struggles of the protagonist who finds himself a student of an engineering college, while harbouring dreams of filmmaking, and the experiences of a transexual woman who finds herself oppressed by an overbearing father, that come to constitute the heart of the story. While the premise in itself is not entirely unique, the manner in which it unfolds offers a fresh breath of air, along with the conclusion it presents to the viewer, one which seems more within the ambit of realism, as well as being a positive, empowering message for young viewers who might find themselves in similar situations as the film's characters.

Kiran | Short Film Nominee

The narrative is simply confined to tight frames of two pairs of hands - male and female. The visuals follow them in different stages of life and situations. From friendship to budding romance to heartbreak and so on. The film is shot on a smartphone and attempts to tell a story despite its technical limitations. It makes use of different props and colours to convey the mood to the viewer. Since no faces are shown, hands become the only conveyors of emotions of the two characters. As they go through the various stages of love, what will be their fate?

Handful Of Love | Short Film Nominee

The film attempts a complex plot complete with supernatural elements, unhappy spirits and the manner their displeasure finds its way into the experiences of the living. It allows the story to unfold through a conversation between two people, primarily, allowing the past and the present to follow a non-linear trajectory as part of the film's plot.

The Caretaker | Lockdown Film Challenge

It’s fifteen minutes to 31st October, a Halloween chill perhaps already making itself known, when two employees pull a late night shift at their workplace. 

As the night progresses some strange developments, that begin primarily with phone calls, await them. Each of the three characters that we are interacting with, Ajith, Renuka and Rakesh, gets a deeply disturbing phone call, all suggesting horrifying, supernatural occurrences. The plot continues to develop, and yet there are no overlaps to be found between the three characters, each of whom is now indeed headed towards the same fate. 

The various elements of the film take their time coming into their own, attempting to portray the many horrors that rest within the surface. Though few rough edges in the department of sound persist, the narrative strives to weave and share its story with the viewer.

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