Looking back on Valentine's Day over the years, you realise we have celebrated singlehood, female companionships, pets, so on and so forth. Just when you thought there's nothing new that can be added to the list, a short film arrived with the most relevant and wonderful message. This V-Day, let's celebrate women who make the first move. Making a strong comment on gender dynamics, Old Fashioned Love, is about a conversation between a bartender and a man sketching by himself. The first reaction for many viewers can be of surprise - to see a woman behind the bar in India, and that is perhaps another comment that the film makes. The conversation between them is intelligently written. The narrative is simple and engaging and concludes with a powerful ending.

Old Fashioned Love | Short Film of the Day

It's a Sunday afternoon while a mom impatiently awaits her daughter's return. She is edgy when the daughter finally arrives. Isha, the daughter, is also visibly distressed and immediately the viewer is informed that there is indeed a deeper narrative developing in the story. Khilaaf is a short film which explores the mother-daughter dynamics, a relation between two women who have faced a tragedy together and the manner in which their entire relationship has been moulded and transformed by it. At its conclusion, the film has a relevant message about love, loss and the inevitable forward progression of life.

Khilaaf | Short Film of the Day

It's a busy morning, a woman is readying herself for work, her daughter for school and a cup of coffee for her husband. But where does she fit in all this rush? This is what the short film questions on the occasion of Women's Day. If we move past the tokenism of this day, women need to be respected and looked at as any other human being - complete with their qualities as well as flaws. Badlaav reminds the viewer of the need for this change in our thought and action when it comes to our relationships with women. Will you be part of it?

Badlav | Short Film of the Day

The most efficient way to normalise a reality is to portray it in art as a normalised reality. This short film applies the same formula and succeeds at it most wonderfully. '377 अब Normal' is a film about a boy fighting with his parents to buy him a motorbike. However, the twist is that just when the audience expects his mother to walk out and intervene the lighthearted quarrel between him and his father, another father walks out. With its effervescence and complete lack of exaggerated plot devices, the short film leaves the audience with an important message - it's love and not the gender of the parents that determine a healthy household for the wellbeing of the family.

377 अब Normal | Short Film of the Day

The short film attempts several things, but falls short of the mark. Though the premise holds potential, two former lovers meeting after a long time since their parting, it is not truly realised. Ek Aur Chai is marked by mawkish writing, tacky background score and an overall disappointing handling of the story that could have seen better execution. The notable things about it are the strong performances of the protagonists and the expert cinematography. However both seem wasted in this overly sentimental film which, in a way, is also promoting the dysfunctionality of romantic equations. A boy who has been trying to move on for two years finally finds the closure he has been looking for. Just when the viewer begins to feel satisfied on his behalf, a text from the same former lover elicits such broad grins in him that you cannot help, but wonder at the futility of routing for him in the first place. The film also offers a convincing portrayal of a young woman who chose to move to a different city for a dream job even if it meant walking away from a near-perfect romance. She defends her choice in no unequivocal terms and that aspect of her personality is laudable. In the end, however, the dichotomy is suddenly presented to the viewer - a choice between love and career which, again, fails to convey its point, since just in the previous second the protagonists are shown discussing their career in a manner that involves working it out around their relationship, not without it. All in all, the film turns out to be an underwhelming product.

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