The darkness of human mind, if left unchecked, can wreak limitless havoc. The short film explores the same concern and presents the viewer with different emotions, personalities and aspects of existence that get tied to it. The narrative is constituted by a story within a story. As a man stumbles across an untitled book authored anonymously, he shares a story with a friend, and the plot begins to unfold. The two parallel narratives, one of the protagonist, and the other of the book he has found, serve their own respective purpose. While the latter throws light on the various intricacies of consciousness, the former helps to understand and comprehend these in a coherent manner, at the same time, also raising questions that further lead to the viewer's engagement with the topic at hand. The book the man finds opens with a murder. Investigation of the same by its characters leads to an unravelling perhaps beyond the point of no return. As the narrative reaches its climax, experimental visuals, camera techniques and editing is employed to delineate the plot better. Drawing from Ramayana, the rules of the animal kingdom and metaphors that come to be associated with it, the story is further enriched and told in an involvinh manner. There is also an attempted interaction with mental health and all that a disturbed mind can truly lead to.

Mrugavadhe | Short Film Nominee

Vishal, a young documentary filmmaker, is on a quest to find the perfect subject for his film. His enthusiastic local guide takes him into the heart of a story, one about a little boy, Mato and his pet goat, Arjun. 

Basing its plot on Mahasweta Devi’s ‘The Armenian Champa Tree’, the film presents a nexus between superstition and sincere companionship. It endeavors to construct its world with care and thought as it takes us deeper into the issues that plague its characters, presenting a metanarrative of sorts, a film about making a film. 
The film’s most notable aspect is its approach to storytelling, especially achieved with its edit and screenplay. Though a few stones remain unturned in achieving all of these intentions, the film in its current form offers a completed whole, while also leaving the door open for more such attempts at storytelling and world-building in the future.

The Legend of Mato | Short Film Nominee

The film is inspired by Attia Hussain’s short story ‘Phoenix Fled’ which explores the Partition of India alongside its engagement with the violence that remains intrinsic to the event. In the same vein, coupled with its own experimental approach to storytelling, the narrative explores thematic concerns pertaining to the past and how it ties with the protagonist's reality. The story is of one day when two children visit their grandmother, and a realm of memories, and things long gone by, are conjured. 
The storytelling is defined more by obscurity than lucidity, alongside stylized visuals that present a narrative fraught with an imperfect overlap of the past and the present. The end result is defined by a singular voice of engaging with all of these components, one that evidences potential and should be expanded upon in more such endeavors.

Phoenix Fled | Short Film Nominee

The film attempts a strong comment on the location of women in a semi-rural society which is about to be taken over by its more urban counterpart. The same is achieved by the character of a seemingly newly married bride. The realism of the narrative is sharp and disorienting. It leaves the viewer with strong images that will deeply disconcert them. However, the conclusion does not exhibit a similar strength and leaves the viewer wanting for more.

Grahan | Short Film Nominee

The scene is set in a dark room where a man sits by himself. He is soon joined by another person, a woman, who holds the answers to many of his questions, if not all. In addition to engaging with the characters' concerns which has a revelation in store for the audience as well, the film also endeavours a homage to doctors and health workers all over the world, working towards keeping everyone safe and healthy, even at the cost of their own safety.

Death Room | Lockdown Film Challenge

In order to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic, it is extremely imperative for each one of us to do our bit towards society. From ensuring we maintain social distancing to washing hands regularly and wearing masks to getting vaccinated when it's our turn, we have to follow the health and safety guidelines in place. When we respect these protocols, not only are we protecting ourselves, but also our loved ones. Lakshman Rekha is an attempt to share the same information with the viewer. It introduces us to different situations to communicate its message, while also endeavoring to celebrate those public workers, along with individuals, who have aided us in this battle against the pandemic.

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