The documentary introduces us to a powerful subject, Nihad Panju, who not only holds an intimidating world record but also carries within him a story impossible to look away from. After a serious illness as a baby left him battling partial paralysis, Nihad’s life was defined by long years of isolation, hard work, the many sacrifices and compromises that his ever-supportive family made, alongside discipline, perseverance, and the vehement refusal to quit. 

Overcoming the toughest odds, Nihad now holds the world record of being the fastest runner with hemiplegia to complete a half marathon, in addition to leading a deeply fulfilling and meaningful life. The visual and narratorial progression of the film does a notable job of capturing all of these emotions. In the end, the story that the viewer is presented with is one of hope and the indomitable nature of the human spirit, allowing the film to succeed in the communication of all its intentions with lucidity and impact.

Nihad Panju | Short Film of the Day

The metaphor of sound and its related processes - hearing, communicating, listening, comprehending and accepting - all of them together constitute the central metaphor of the narrative. The absence of these processes, the act of being able to hear each other, presents to the viewer the story of Vijay and his family. His father lives with a disability, thereby leaving the onus of fending for the family on his wife and the eldest son. 

Vijay’s younger brother, Varun, has withdrawn into his own little world, away from the many tribulations that his mother and sibling deal with on a daily basis. Vijay too leads a double life his family has no idea about. The narrative weaves all these elements together seamlessly, offering a poignant story of a broken household where each character inhabits their own realm. The performances further bolster this reality, as does the writing. 
 
Vijay’s vulnerabilities, hopes, and dreams, as well as his mother’s quiet suffering, alongside his father’s rage at an existence that has confined him to a life of immobility, are all shared in a skilled manner. The film loosens a little towards the conclusion, especially after presenting a potentially powerful climax, but that’s a wrinkle that can be overlooked in favor of everything else the plot offers.

Vakh Vakh Sansaar  | Short Film of the Month

The strongest aspect of the film is the humane element it manages to capture and utilise not only for the benefit of a pleasurable viewing experience of the audience, but more importantly, also for serving a social purpose. It thus succeeds at doing its bit to work towards normalising identities of those living with a disability, enhanced further by a skilled performance of the protagonist. The story is of selfie attempts of a young girl, aided by her family. A perfectly normal experience, it is also portrayed as one without giving in to sentimentalism or maudlin developments at the expense of the quality of the plot and its execution. Finally, Anokhee concludes with a reminder and a request to endeavour to help someone in need with perhaps a little effort on the part of the viewer.

Anokhee | Short Film of the Day

‘Love in Kalimpong’ is a mellow story of love found in an unexpected place during an even more unexpected encounter. Its pacing is consistently calm and sustained all along. The narrative introduces us to Rishi first who is visiting Kalimpong with his fellow band members for a performance. 

As they explore the region, he runs into Iris, a talented, mysterious musician who draws him deeper and deeper into her world. What follows next is a story defined by anger, emotions, song and music, and a neat tying together of all of these elements. 

The film loses a few points when it comes to the seamlessness of its sound department but remains marked by earnestness throughout, along with an unmissable, sincere portrayal of Iris by Rajeswari.

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