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

Shades of a Kite brings to the screen a powerful narrative about a haunted house and the manner in which it comes to threaten the safety of a family that has recently moved there. Anna, a single mother, shifts to a house in a new city with her three-year-old daughter who also happens to be a mute. The film unfolds to reveal a sense of deep disconcertment which is achieved with dimly lit visuals marked by their deliberate instability to disorient the viewer. The handheld shots when combined with the greys on screen produce an unease, and the invocation of this very sentiment allows the film to be successful in its endeavour to be a horror story. In terms of thought, the plot draws attention to differing ideas that conform to science and spirituality, the question of the supernatural in the logical world of mental health experts. All of this is further enhanced by beautiful animation that add a new dimension to the story. When coupled with notable graphics and convincing performances, the film indeed becomes a successful product as well as an enjoyable viewing experience for all horror aficionados.

Shades of a Kite | Short Film Nominee

Directed by Vasu Dixit, the music video raises concerns about a very important issue - depression among school students. What begins as an innocent instruction, many of us would associate with our childhood, "Beta, sweater peheno", soon takes the form of a didactic, suffocating diktat. The claustrophobic tone of the video is further enhanced by the visuals of the five band members against the backdrop of an empty school. The overwhelming emptiness of the minimalist frames invokes the idea of school students drowning in expectations and the pressure to perform. Beta Sweater Peheno makes a relevant comment about the conversation around mental health and leaves you feeling overwhelmed, and perhaps that is the point of the music video.

Beta Sweater Pehno | Short Film of the Day

How far are you willing to go to punish someone for infidelity? Would you go down the road of vengeance to never return or would you drive away to indifference, and move on? The short film raises these questions with notable performances by Kalki Koechlin and Monica Sharma Dogra, but at the heart of it lies a much darker reality. Along with an engaging climax, the film also offers a deep comment on gender roles. When Kalki's character accuses her husband of cheating on her, he dismisses it as being thoughts of an imbecile, "a fifth grader". The narrative also invests its energy in portraying her as a woman struggling with potentially neurotic behaviour. The fact that despite his cheating, he confidently writes her off could perhaps suggest that her psychosis was a result of his behavioural patterns. Maybe when she accused him of cheating only after a seemingly inane encounter, her anger and distrust came with a massive baggage of a past where he had constantly denied her narrative, making her question her own reality. Would it be too far to suggest that, like as is true of many heteronormative romantic equations, there was an element of gaslighting involved in this equation? If indeed yes, the ending would leave the viewer with a sense of closure. What happens when she has had enough of the same dysfunctional, toxic, soul-sapping relationship? The short film has a satisfying answer.

The Thought of You | Short Film of the Day

Kahanibaaz is a short film which engages with issues of domestic abuse, mental health and women's oppression. Using the idea of misguided anger and the inability to break out of painful situations, the short film offers a gripping narrative of violence, marital discord and childhood trauma. The plight of someone who finds themselves trapped in a pattern of emotional abuse and its consequent destructive expression is delineated in the most intense and sophisticated manner. With its skilled cinematography, good acting and a very satisfying climax, the short film is a must-watch for any connoisseur of films.

Kahanibaaz | Short Film of the Day

Live Love Laugh is a set of four slice-of-life stories in one short film. With realistic dialogue and evocative music, it talks about a very real problem in our society, one that is often ignored or shunned. Its powerful performances will send shivers down your spine.

Live Love Laugh | Short Film of the Day

Sexuality, mental health, racism and dysfunctional Indian families - the film engages with all of these issues in a palatable manner without giving in to high-sounding jargon. Imagine the premise as a plot device equivalent of a person entering a room and yelling, "Sex!", immediately followed by, "Now that I have your attention, let's talk business". The film achieves this by centering the major chunk of its action around a hickey in clear view of the world on the fair skin of its protagonist. The film might come across as being overly sentimental or dramatic in some parts. However, that's not a flaw, but seems like a conscious choice on the part of the filmmakers with a very clear idea of who their viewer is. It talks about anxiety, the pressure to get married on women, domestic abuse and the burden of expectations on school students, and manages to keep its tone relatable all along. This ensures that the story rings loud and true with its viewer, allowing it to successfully communicate all that it has set out to.

Hickey | Short Film of the Day

Chirag lives in a strange world with a stranger profession. His job involves delivering messages to people, on behalf of their family members and loved ones, sometimes in the respective patron’s voice, and sometimes even in person. The film offers a seamlessly remarkable endeavor in presenting this reality to the viewer. 

Amidst it all is Chirag’s relationship with Sneha, on the verge of collapse primarily as a result of his inability, ironically, to communicate or express himself. His dying relationship is simply symptomatic of society at large, one where the absolute breakdown of communication has left an endless vacuum very swiftly being filled by technology. In our own world where using AI tools to structure our messages and emails, sometimes even personal, intimate conversations, is ubiquitous and commonplace, is the film’s reality truly far-fetched? 

Chirag's mental and emotional unraveling is mapped alongside these developments, questions, and their inherent answers. A voice and tonality that is fresh and unique, coupled with strong performances, and a diegetic score together constitute the expert film.

Grey | Short Film of the Month

Is it difficult to talk about? Is it just a phase? ‘What’s Wrong?’ is a deeply moving short film about a woman who is dealing with depression. It's a serious mental health condition and Shraddha Singhvi does justice in capturing the nuances of it. 

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