Anukul is a story by Satyajit Ray that is enhanced in the most elegant way by Sujoy Ghosh's filmmaking. The narrative is about a school teacher who decides to get a robot one day to take care of his domestic chores. Set in West Bengal, the plot touches upon a concern which is also relevant in contemporary times, one of artificial intelligence making humans redundant. The dim-lighting of the film further helps to invoke a sense of tension and uncertainty about the human fate as well as their conflicted equation with machines. The film is subtle, powerful and, irrespective of the side you find yourself on when it comes to apprehensions about AI, sure to move you.

Anukul | Short Film of the Day

Chirag lives in a strange world with a stranger profession. His job involves delivering messages to people, on behalf of their family members and loved ones, sometimes in the respective patron’s voice, and sometimes even in person. The film offers a seamlessly remarkable endeavor in presenting this reality to the viewer. 

Amidst it all is Chirag’s relationship with Sneha, on the verge of collapse primarily as a result of his inability, ironically, to communicate or express himself. His dying relationship is simply symptomatic of society at large, one where the absolute breakdown of communication has left an endless vacuum very swiftly being filled by technology. In our own world where using AI tools to structure our messages and emails, sometimes even personal, intimate conversations, is ubiquitous and commonplace, is the film’s reality truly far-fetched? 

Chirag's mental and emotional unraveling is mapped alongside these developments, questions, and their inherent answers. A voice and tonality that is fresh and unique, coupled with strong performances, and a diegetic score together constitute the expert film.

Grey | Short Film of the Day

‘Gandhi Virus’ presents a most intriguing world to the viewer, constructed with thoughtfulness and care to ensure the plot is communicated to the viewer with conviction and lucidity. 

A man, the protagonist, is desperate and very disturbed on a phone call to his mother. His uncontrollable sobbing gives way to the events of only a few minutes ago. The film thus presents a dystopic reality where a bizarre virus has humankind in its tight hold. 

 The virus makes its host kind and non-violent. On paper, the proposition sounds nothing short of utopia, but its consequences are far from that, as the narrative continues to portray, ensuring that its storytelling remains a marked strength. Additionally, the film keeps the audience engaged throughout, concluding with the emphatic communication of all of these ideas.

Gandhi Virus | Short Film Nominee

The Perfect Match is a short film about the extent of the deep infestation of technology in our lives. The concept of the film has immense potential, yet it fails to be remarkable. It could be due to a low production quality in part. However that aspect can be accounted for by the fact that The Perfect Match was an entry in the 50 Hour Challenge of the India Film Project. Given the short duration for the execution, the film definitely becomes worth a watch.

The Perfect Match | Short Film of the Day

The film locates itself in a futuristic, dystopic society, where human existence is marked by tracking chips and an insidious cough that threatens to prove extremely detrimental to the very existence of mankind. This is further coupled with skilled visuals of illustrations that exhibit notable talent and ease with a pencil and paper. In terms of its story, Prophecy weaves a plot that leads the viewer by the hand to a specific location, only to later portray the folly of it all. As the fictive space of the film battles a severe health problem, also echoing our contemporary reality, the narrative simply puts forward the protagonist's experiences of attempting to survive the formidable circumstances. The same is communicated to the audience by visuals of only a pair of hands sketching images corresponding to the events that are unfolding. While the crisis rages on and on, would our protagonist finally achieve the safe haven he seeks, and perhaps, deserves?

Prophecy | Short Film of the Day

The film attempts a conversation around surveillance and offers differing views that make you pause. Set in a dystopic society where the government's presence in an average person's life has become all pervasive, the film is a conversation between a couple, convincingly played by the two lead actors. While one questions this invasion of privacy, the other is quick to point out the same process set in motion in the name of marketing in the digital space. The narrative concerns itself with a topic that could have slipped into the space of propaganda or over-glorification of particular ideologies. However, its strength lies in the fact that it falls in neither of the two categories and offers an objective, balanced approach to both sides of the argument.

Naukri | Short Film of the Day

A woman arrives at a house to be greeted by a welcoming father. However, this is not a usual meeting between two family members, her furtive glances at her phone screen convey that. The apparent lack of the age difference between the two further asserts the unease that is gradually becoming inherent to the circumstance. 
The plot develops to reveal the role of technology in simulating a reality that once was, allowing Sia to revisit her past. In the process, a conversation on loss, grief, longing, and the need to eventually move on is presented to the viewer. Even if the production value of the end result is slightly hindered by the sound and a smattering of inconsistent visuals, the story throughout remains marked by a gentle quietness and sincerity of thought.

Mulaqaat | Short Film Nominee

With truth as the primary preoccupation of the narrative, the film introduces us to Meisha, a girl who had found herself in the way of her father’s science experiment as a child, that eventually reduced her existence to that of a strange being. Unable to digest food or continue a regular life in any form, she survives solely on the radiation of other devices. At the same time, this life of isolation is further tied with secrets from the past, along with her father’s sudden and unexpected death in an accident years ago. 

As the viewer is taken deeper into Meisha’s life, and introduced to her sole friend and companion, Dhruv, a story of thrill and action develops. Though the film loses points in terms of its sound, and consequently, in the seamlessness of some of the performances, there is a dedicated endeavor of weaving an engaging story, and it would be interesting to see how it develops in subsequent parts of the film. Additionally, Snower Sania Vasudev as Meisha definitely remains an unmissable presence amidst it all.

Fidelity | Short Film Nominee

The short film is a fast-paced narrative about time travel constituted of dimly-lit shots to invoke a sense of suspense and thrill. A man sits working on a palm-sized contraption when a call interrupts the task at hand. A sudden flow of visuals reveal a dark reality that awaits him in the future. As the film closes with its concluding shot, the whole plot ties up, allowing a moment of realisation and closure for the viewer. The story boasts of skilful editing and graphics which further serve to highlight its potential. However, while the script is notable in its handling of the topic, it could have been explored a little more, allowing the flow to be more sophisticated.

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