We didn't need further proof of Sanjay Mishra's acting prowess, but this short film does just that. And not only this, it also pays tribute to one of the best drinks this country will ever produce - Old Monk. This is a tale of nostalgia, friendships, and also one of addictions and loneliness. For a brief twelve minutes, Monk will make you revisit your college hostel days.

Monk | Short Film of the Day

The strength of the film lies in its not trying to be something it's not. The scene is of a seedy bar where one man awaits another. The course of the conversation reveals that he's the father of his guest, and thus progresses the story. The young man has come to invite his father to his wedding, but will he manage to convince an estranged husband and father to come back to his family? The writing of the film exhibits maturity and handles its narrative well without giving in to any maudlin elements. The camera angles are simple, the lighting dim. All of it put together manages to achieve a balanced product.

An Invitation | Rajat Kapoor | Short Film of the Day

It is comforting to see narratives that simply deal with a single moment of kinship that is sometimes found in unexpected corners. In the same vein, the moment which the film chooses as its preoccupation, and thus, which eventually marks the progression of the plot, is simply about a pair of unlikely characters sharing a drink with each other. As they find a space of familiarity, and perhaps, even warmth and friendship, the narrative further comes to be marked by instances of humour, a suggestion of isolation that often plagues existence in the urban space, also the starting point of pursuits of economic and social mobility, and an overlap between two disparate classes. The opening scene is where the film could have fared slightly better, especially in terms of sound. On the whole, however, it exhibits a sincerity of storytelling and the desire to invoke a moment of companionship in an unanticipated manner.

Thodi Si Shaarab Choti Si Baaten | Short Film Nominee

The film is a high-paced rigmarole of chaotic events that follow one after another in rapid succession. The viewer has to await the very conclusion to truly understand how each character is linked. Fortunately for them, the engrossing narrative ensures that they stay with it till the very end. If on the one hand, a woman is plotting her stepfather's murder, her boyfriend, on the other, is secretly recording a video of their intimate moments. At the same time, a strange man has turned up at a seedy bar with a briefcase. When the waiter, working together with another patron, steals this bag, the most unexpectedly fateful set of events await the three of them. The plot, thus, becomes a culmination of all of these seemingly unrelated developments. The same elements further allow the viewer an entertaining experience, explaining the title of the film, Coincidence, in the process.

Coincidence | Short Film Nominee

The film starts along a dark corner in the night, an image that would come to define the rest of the narrative both visually and emotionally. A man speaks with his estranged wife on her birthday. Bela, on the other hand, is quick to end this conversation, not allowing him into their twenty-year-old daughter's life. 

The grief of being estranged from his family, and having never met his daughter, pushes him into a drunken stupor. When he takes a shared cab with a young woman the same night, he is a complete nuisance to both her and the driver. However, this car ride won’t be like any he has taken. Though the film could have gained from tighter control of its lighting, even if employing shadows and darkness as a core component, it remains a sincere endeavor in storytelling, marked by the dedication of all the performances to bolster the same.

The Quest | Short Film Nominee

The story of the film is pushed forth by three simultaneous narratives of three men - a beggar, a wealthy man amidst a chaotic legal situation and an ambitious man who dreams of accumulating his own wealth one day. Along with introducing us to their stories, the film also gives us a glimpse of their approach to life, especially vis-a-vis money and material belongings. 

The tool that is specifically used for the same is alcohol. By portraying the relationship of the characters with it, the film presents its primary message for the viewer to engage with. While life may have dealt each one of them a vastly different hand, their perspective towards their own individual circumstance, along with the overlap that exists between the three lives without them consciously realizing it, communicates the film's intentions in a manner that is clear and direct.

Apna Nazariya Hai | Short Film Nominee

A young man is haunted by the guilt of killing his friend. He is hounded by nightmares and it’s almost as
though he is living with the ghost of his dead friend. The torment is driving him insane. It almost seems
like he’s on a loop, playing the scenario in his head over and over again, so much so that one can’t tell
between what’s real and what’s not. But this loop is a crafted ploy of the narrative and the twist reveals
itself at the very end.

Guilt | Short Film Nominee

The protagonist of Abhishek brings to the screen a dedication to teetotalism that is indeed notable in the film. As he is faced with loss, failure and deep pain, he finds himself considering the option of having a drink to ease his agony. This is further amplified by peer pressure and the desire to be liked by those around him. Thus begins a long and tough battle between his life choices and a desire to give in to what seems to be the simpler path to tread upon, perhaps one at the end of which lies at least some alleviation of his pain. However, when he finds himself at this crossroad, what would he eventually choose?

Bottoms Up | Short Film Nominee

The narrative attempts to be a warning against addiction and the abuse of intoxicants. It wants to achieve the same by presenting to the viewer the shadow of who a person used to be before addiction completely overpowered their life. It further talks about the shadow or the gloom that is cast on someone's life once they find themselves entrapped by addiction. The story is told by two contrasting sets of visuals showing a young boy indulging in all kinds of intoxicants juxtaposed against the same person struggling in a hospital to heal and recover. Now his health is perhaps no more than the shattered glass, broken into several pieces, as the closing visual of the film suggests.

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