The short film opens on a dreamy note, making the viewer expect something very different from what is yet to come. The narrative unfolds like poetry, giving one the impression of reading a book, more than watching visuals, in the most wonderful manner. Supported by two polished actors, Sumeet Vyas and Purab Kohli, Camouflage is about a single conversation between two Indian Army personnel, both debating notions of integrity, survival and vanquishing the enemy on the battlefield. While one talks of the enemy within, the other talks of the enemy without. The film attempts to present the viewer with several aspects of military operations and the manner in which two young men, both away from family and loved ones, manage to find friendship, hope and laughter.

Camouflage | Short Film of the Day

The short film could be about a lot of things, but essentially, it can all be condensed to a father's love for his children. While the love for his son might harden his heart in one situation, the love for his daughter melts it into warmth and affection in another. Made in honour of Major Udai Singh, an Indian army officer who succumbed to his injuries while fighting militants in Kashmir in 2003, the film explores one of the many ways his surviving family deals with grief. When his father’s laptop stops functioning, the company sends a technician whose name happens to be Imtiaz Khan. As the ageing father reluctantly opens his house to a Muslim, there’s indeed a long distance to be covered within the short duration of a couple of minutes.

The Complaint | Short Film of the Day

YouTuber Bhuvan Bam and actor Divya Dutta weave an endearing tale of kindness, compassion and love in this short film. When two strangers, from very different walks of life, meet in an overnight train, conversation flows. A young army personnel, played by Bam, teaches a thing or two about relationships to Dutta, a woman facing trouble in her married life. Plus Minus is an honest attempt at reminding the viewer that we often take a lot of things for granted. It draws attention to a life of uncertainty and hardship, that of an army man, who might never have the luxury of those things. With its heart in the right place, the short film, made as a tribute to Captain Harbhajan Singh of the Indian Army, will strike a chord with many.

Plus Minus | BB Ki Vines | Short Film of the Day

Vaapsi is a glimpse into a father-son conversation as they go about discussing mundane affairs that constitute life; from his son's love life to his affinity for alcohol to a goodbye that the two share as the young lieutenant returns to his duties as an Indian Army officer. On their way to the Dehradun train station, the two talk about their shared past and the future, perhaps all the while attempting to take their attention away from the imminent goodbye. Some goodbyes are harder than others and the short film attempts to capture the essence of one such parting that is made bearable only by the promise of a reunion.

Vaapsi | Short Film of the Day

The film explicitly or implicitly addresses two big issues of contemporary Indian debate at this point in
time: religious communalism and nationalism. But these are also two of the most perennial themes in
film, so it is hard to say if the film really strives to make an urgent political comment. 

It is a story of three children, who once planted a flag in the ground and stationed a make-shift post to
honour the martyrs who were killed in the war. After some years, an ‘Army Temple’ was established at
the same spot as a monument to forever remember the sacrifices of the brave soldiers. By creating protagonists belonging to different religions, namely Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, who
are all serving in the Indian army to safeguard the interests of the nation state, the film seeks to
promote the message of secularism.

Army Temple | Short Film Nominee

The short narrative is well-intentioned and wants to make a comment about unity and secularism. Ahead of Independence Day, a radio show discusses the many issues plaguing the country in the name of communal discord. 

Alongside this is a scene around a bonfire where four soldiers, each of a different faith, sit alongside each other, ready to fight together in the name of protecting the nation. It is through the contrast of these two scenarios that Idukkan Kalai (The Tribulation) hopes to share its message with the viewer, and echo its message of futility of discrimination as well as of the importance of peace and harmony.

Idukkan Kalai | Short Film Nominee

The short film is a daughter's lament in the memory of her father. The story is about a young girl who wants to write a letter to her father, an Indian Army captain. She misses his presence as he goes about discharging his duties towards the country. Though there is an innocent questioning of why she does not get to be with him, there is also a calm realisation of the importance of his role as an army officer. Sandesh attempts an intelligent camerawork to talk about the notions of separation and longing, but would have definitely benefitted from a little more maturity in the execution of the same.

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