This Manoj Bajpayee-starrer is a short-film weaved together by trippy visuals and groovy music by Nucleya. Taandav contrasts the humour in tragedy and vice-versa, much like the reality of our day-to-day lives. It's an interesting comment on expectations, duties, responsibility and ethics. Throw in a polished performance by Bajpayee and an equally talented supporting cast and voila! The perfect piece of art is ready.

Taandav | Manoj Bajpayee | Short Film of the Day

A newly-married bride wakes up on the morning after her wedding and finds herself bored (and perhaps a little curious). While her husband continues to sleep next to her, she gets to killing time on her own. From unwrapping disappointing presents to being a performer in make-belief situations, she spends the morning executing all kind of acrobatics (both mental and physical). A grim statue of a bat immediately after seeing her mother-in-law is one of the many fun and quirky touches that have been given to the video which experiments with its camera angles, shots and pacing of the visuals. They are further supplemented by singer Ritviz's latest offering, but you will pay attention to the vocals only the second time around. This does not even remotely suggest that the music and the song is any less expertly done, but instead that the video is crafted skilfully enough to triumph over all other elements.

Ritviz - Liggi | Official Music Video

Earlier this year, of the many internet gems that graced our virtual chats, there was a video of a middle-aged Indian man, a figure (soon to be fondly known as Dabbu uncle within the realm of the internet) we are all too-familiar-with dancing to the Bollywood song Aap Ke Aa Jane Se. Picking up from there, the eponymous short film weaves an endearing and heartwarming narrative about a man, Rammo Babu's life who finds himself at the centre of unexpected attention when a video of him dancing at a wedding goes viral. 
Unable to make much sense of this era of smartphones and WhatsApp forwards, Rammo Babu lives a simple life. He sells sarees with a single-minded devotion to his job, drops his children to school every morning and ensures he always turns up for his family, driving them around sandwiched on a two wheeler. Manu Rishi Chadha as Rammo Babu would completely win you over with the disarming vulnerability he brings to life in the film. The performance is tied with an organic and smooth progression of events within the plot, ensuring that it succeeds at striking all the right chords with the audience. 
Additionally, the film does a notable job of portraying the many nuances and subtle realities of a middle class household where it is only the simple joys that often suffice in making someone’s day. It is precisely in achieving this, among other things, that the film’s true success lies.

Aap Ke Aa Jane Se | Short Film of the Day

The national lockdown following the coronavirus pandemic has ensured not only our physical confinement, but also a huge dampening of our moods and spirits. This video by Ritviz thus becomes a much-needed, endearing respite from it all. Made by compiling crowdsourced videos of different people dancing to the song in their homes, the video of Thandi Hawa offers a metaphorical ray of sunshine, complete with an adequate dose of effervescence and hope. Along with seamless and remarkable editing, it's further achieved by wonderful pacing and weaving together of disparate elements - from different dance forms to household shots and activities people have resorted to to amuse themselves while being quarantined. Overall, it is heartwarming and probably precisely the cheer you need to take your mind off the bleak uncertainty of our lives currently, even if for a little while.

Thandi Hawa | Ritviz | Short Film of the Day

The video is a weaving together of beautiful visuals with soulful vocals by When Chai Met Toast. The story is of a young ballerina who struggles to make space for her art amidst her father's alcoholism, indifference and complete dismissal of her dance. The efficient cinematography does a perfect job of capturing the essence of the song with its hand-held visuals and intelligent use of lighting. From a dim house, where a young dancer's dreams are stifled, to the brightness of an open space where she finally allows herself to become the dancer she wants to be - the lighting and colour palette serve to supplement the narrative. With convincing acting, melodious music and seamless visuals, the video delivers a wholesome product.

Believe | Short Film of the Day

The video is a montage of different women against the recitation of a poem about a dancer's feet and what it means to be a woman in this world. Released on the occasion of International Dance Day, it's a reminder of the various ways in which a woman finds herself moving between failure, rejection, condescension and dismissal by society. While the video sews together simple but lovely visuals, it still does not match up to Culture Machine's other productions on gender and related topics. It celebrates dance and women and the manner in which art empowers, but there is nothing extraordinary about the writing or the voiceover that will stay with the viewer.

My Dear Aching Feet | Short Film of the Day

The short film offers parallel narratives of a mother and her daughter. While one of them finds herself completely confined by her domestic and familial duties, the other struggles with her love and professional life. As they navigate their way around them, both find themselves turning to a single outlet for their stress - dance. Once they allow themselves to arrive at this particular point of individual expression, there is no turning back. While daily obstacles may continue to obstruct the path that leads them to their happiness, will they be able to find a way around it?

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