The film introduces us to Aditya, a man who has been relieved from his job. However, instead of the despair that should follow this development, we see a strange calm. While a sense of disconcertment lurks under the surface of Aditya's stoic exterior, it is never allowed an expression. 

The narrative soon explores the many reasons behind it - from indifference of family and friends, to a complete dismissal of his inability to cry after a tragedy. All of this is used to question his behavior by the people in his life, but there is no attempt on their behalf to understand the reasons behind it. 

As Aditya embarks on a journey of his own to unpack it, and to finally be able to allow himself the comfort of tears, the plot comes into its own, offering a conversation around toxic positivity and masculinity. There is further the suggestion of how all of these elements together have led to Aditya's inability to cry and express himself in a manner that finally eases the burden of the emotions he has been carrying within. The achievement of this evasive, cathartic release by the protagonist, and the many people and factors that have caused it, thus become the primary preoccupation of the film.

A-mrit | Short Film Nominee

At the core of ‘Nausea’ is a sincere exploration of the many emotional states that the unnamed protagonist deals with. The story opens with black and white visuals, also conjuring a sense of a lackluster reality for the character before us. From vast expanses of nature, to tight frames of animals, trees and dying leaves, the film includes them all. 

The boy continues with his emotional turmoil. He seems to be searching for something - is it meaning in existence? An answer to a personal quandary? Companionship and an end to isolation? Is it all of this or nothing at all? With a narrative devoid of any dialogue, the film raises these questions for the viewer, allowing them to unpack each answer on their own, while itself completing the entire trajectory it has presented thus before them.

Nausea | Short Film Nominee

The film is an engagement with thoughts about the self, the haunting nature of memory and a deep angst the protagonist struggles with. There is also the mention of a divine force that takes care of the events in your life, and perhaps means you well, especially when you feel things are not going your way. However, what happens when you find yourself trapped in a cyclical pattern of the same thoughts that bother you and ensure you never break out of this torture - is it something the divine force has decreed for your growth or are you doomed to a fate of endless pain and misery? The film raises this question and attempts a notable background score to pronounce and amplify its thoughts further. The smooth edit further allows it to put forth a narrative exhibiting potential and leaving the door open with promise of more such projects by the young team.

Divine Decree | Short Film Nominee

Set in a futuristic society, the film invokes a conversation about the deep infestation of technology to the point that it has deprived humans, and particularly the protagonist, of any and all emotions. It opens with a shot of a man asking his digital assistant to buy him laughter for ten seconds, and thus begins the narrative in its true sense. Now that the premise has been established, the location of the character in a world where technology allows you to buy emotions or their expression, the audience is allowed a deeper participation in this world marked by its despair as well as absurdity. The film, in the process, offers a metaphorical comment on our relationship with technology, one that rings loud and clear in its relevance in contemporary reality.

Buy | Short Film Nominee

The film is a result of the dedicated effort of its single-member cast and crew. It exhibits potential in terms of the edit and the poetry it brings to the table during its climax, elevating the project from its current position. It is further marked by a performance that shows hard work and persistence. Essentially, the film is an interaction with the nine emotions that are integral to Indian classical thought and approach to drama. Bhaw invokes the Rasa theory and shows how destructive the excess of each of these emotions can be. From passion crimes to brutal murders to a denial of reality to addiction, it wants to engage with it all, and present the narrative of this engagement for the viewer to participate in.

Bhaw | Lockdown Film Challenge

The short film is a sweetly funny take on our locked down reality when we were left to battle our emotions without any external distraction. Expressed through a conversation among personifications of anger, happiness and sadness, respectively, the film shares its intentions lucidly. There is further the attempt to entertain and amuse the viewer at the expense of the three characters before you, employing the banter they exchange. Overall, the narrative eventually comes together as a single, organic unit.

Emo-ji | Lockdown Film Challenge

Ram, a young IT professional, struggles with basic, day-to-day confrontations – with the landlady, his colleagues, romantic interests and so on. This inability to express opinions assertively and confidently often puts him in a disadvantageous position. To rectify the situation, he decides to sit down for a friendly chat with his estranged yet much feared emotion– anger. 
Anger, personified as a rowdy, impulsive version of Ram, berates the protagonist for lagging behind in life, for not taking charge and aggressively pursuing his goals. However, as Ram shares his own opinion about practical thinking and understanding, their once broken connection is fixed to form a stable, peaceful balance.

Ramam... Krodham... | Short Film Nominee

The narrative of the film invokes the complexity of human emotion and how diverse and varied it can be. It further explores the relationship of these emotions with different situations. Their significance in our day-to-day lives is engaged with to be thus presented forth for the viewer.

One Soul Different Emotions | Lockdown Film Challenge

The thematic concerns of the film gain more relevance in the contemporary context where sexual assault against women is making national headlines. The film is an engagement with some form of deep turmoil that the protagonist seems to be struggling with. As he moves from one part of the house to another, and dreams mingle with reality, the viewer is allowed to interact with the narrative. The film wants to make a sincere comment about the location of women and young girls in Indian society, and strives to achieve the same with its climax and conclusion. It further exhibits a dedication to performance by its only actor. However, it would have benefited from a little stability in its visuals.

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