‘Urvarit’ (Remaining) takes you into its world slowly, but definitively. At the film's opening, we are presented with a moment that is already fully-formed. It is the aftermath of a death, locating the characters as well as the viewer in the heart of all that follows thereafter. 
Sharada, an aging woman, has lost her partner of many years. While she braces herself for the life of loneliness that will ensue, a life which still carries the very specific markers of what it was when she shared it with her husband, from an empty bed to a forgotten pair of slippers, her family of two sons and daughter-in-laws has already started making preparations for the rituals, formalities and other worldly duties that need to be taken care of. 

As much as the narrative is marked by the constant conversation of the said family members, it is also marked by Sharada’s silence and lack of participation in it all. In the process, the film offers a nuanced comment on loss, grief, but above all, on the shape existence acquires for those who get left behind in the wake of death.

Urvarit | Short Film Nominee

‘Seher’ is a heartfelt film, bringing to life a quiet mellowness on screen. The entirety of it is a conversation between Abhay and Hussna, a conversation that begins at a very pivotal point in the night for both characters. 

The ensuing exchange offers an earnest exploration of grief, loss, death, heartbreak, and some more. As they catch up, we hear of the many tribulations that afflict their lives in the form of infidelity, the uncertainty of life for a freelancer, financial troubles, the obstacles presented by the pandemic, mental health issues, and failure in love. 

The myriad emotions are shared without overwhelming the narrative. Even though we never see the two characters together in the same physical space, their palpable chemistry portrays the film’s reality with conviction and ease. The thread that ties the film as one is held tightly in place by a beautiful exploration of a Platonic friendship, and the idea of people saving each other not by grand gestures, but by simply sharing small, simple pockets of bonding, care, and affection.

Seher | Short Film of the Day

Afterglow attempts a poignant engagement with grief and bereavement, and succeeds at it beautifully. The story is of a Parsi widow dealing with the emptiness and sorrow left in the wake of her husband's death. This national award winning film weaves together the loss of the present and the fond memories of the past in an effortless manner. It tugs at the heartstrings of the viewer by subtly delineating the wife's struggle with the didactic nature of rites and rituals, as well as the hollow condolences of others. It further offers a touching portrayal of a couple waging a losing battle against a chronic disease, acceptance and the eventual letting go of pain to heal and recover.

Afterglow | Short Film of the Day

An idyllic space marked by shikaras, roses, adornment and smiles constitute the world of the film at first glance. At the heart of this narrative is a loving father-daughter equation, and a kind doctor who visits them regularly for follow-ups. However, this realm of love and longing is soon disrupted as tragedy strikes, following a shooting in a marketplace. 

By tying matters of the heart, and the ensuing complications, with the terrible reality of Kashmir that gets embroiled in the turbulent political terrain of the region, the film also presents the darkness of what lies beneath the surface of the Valley’s spectacular beauty. As foiled expectations, the motif of a red flower, tenderness of a hurt heart all make their presence felt, the film comes into its own. Though the narrative sometimes runs the danger of a little laxity, the end result remains especially notable in its visual progression and the performances it brings to life.

My Father's Doctor | Short Film Nominee

The story of the film is about several things - it is about bereavement, the consequent grief, trauma and what it means to always be at war with your loved ones regarding the decisions of your life. Its title, which loosely translates to make-belief, further offers a comment on how several restrictions that truly hold us back, find a home inside our minds first, even before they achieve a physical manifestation. The film employs beautiful visuals to share its intentions and a plot that is notable for its thrill and the unpredictability of the direction it is headed in. It is for this reason that while the narrative might first give the impression of being a drama, it soon unfolds to reveal a darker reality - one of violence, overpowering authority figures, the duress of forever being under scrutiny and the disturbing outcome it might eventually result in, allowing it to be an engaging, relevant, as well as entertaining product.

Mangadhant | Short Film of the Day

The short film is a calm conversation with grief, longing, heartache and the inexorable passage of time. Based on a short story by Madhumita Dasgupta, it opens on the first death anniversary of a man who is survived by his daughter, living by herself in their house. The narrative progresses to reveal her own struggles and internal obstacles left in the wake of her father's death. The story engages with several aspects of life that range from relationships to the hard, practical realities of life. Its storytelling is further supplemented by a poetic narration by Naseeruddin Shah, moving in and out of the film most organically and smoothly. The film exhibits a sophisticated tying together of visuals that enable it to communicate what it had set out to successfully. While we may forever endeavour to compartmentalise our feelings and rationalise the various events of life, there are indeed some vagaries that transcend all of these categories, underlines the film with its quiet conclusion.

Bin Bulaaye | Short Film of the Day

Smritir Pak, or Maze of Memory, is precisely that, an engagement with the past, time and memory. As a boy sits in his room, the story follows a non-linear trajectory to take the viewer down the same memory line as the protagonist. He revisits his childhood, and also the fantasies and imaginary friends he took comfort in to cope with it. While the symbols of childhood still exist (a red balloon, the memory of a friend who perhaps never existed), their meaning have completely changed. From climbing trees and running in fields, to strumming a guitar in the confines of a room - the protagonist has covered a long journey. The narrative is weaved with a sense of melancholy that never truly leaves the viewer. There is further a sense of the forward movement of life, but one which is never devoid of the past it always carries with it.

Smritir Pak | Short Film Nominee

As we are met with a girl right before she leaves her bed and jumps into the day, the title suggests that this morning is a little out of the ordinary. The moment she begins scrolling down her phone, looking for birthday wishes with grogginess still in her eyes, our guess is confirmed, and we then become equal participants in her morning routine. Amidst it all, however, a fallen earring lies ignored on the floor, and a sense of something amiss never truly leaves the narrative. 

The writing does a notable job of conjuring this suggestion of unease, not revealing its cards until the very juncture when the final revelation begins. The charming protagonist ensures that we are deeply involved in her world of music and chirpiness before we begin to preempt what is about to unfold. The seamless edit and visuals together become the most marked strengths of the film, offering a completed whole to the viewer to interact with.

Birthday | Short Film of the Day

The film starts off at a note that suggests a regular day in the life of a man who is headed out somewhere. In a shop that is replete with curios and antiques, he stumbles across a telephone. The phone is not only pretty to look at, but is also in working condition. However, little does he or the viewer realize what kinds of calls it is truly capable of making. 

The narrative ropes in the supernatural, a communication link between the realms of the living and the dead, and the strangest, most unexpected manner in which all of this comes together in the life of the protagonist. The story does not employ darkness, jump scares or any overt thrills to conjure its intended element of horror, and yet, leaves the viewer with a sense of eeriness.

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