This Rajkumar Rao-starrer will leave you gasping for breath by the end of it. Remind yourself to not feel choked by the futility of human conflict, often arising out of empty causes we lead ourselves to believe in. This brilliant short-film further shows that, if deluded, people can behave in the most absurd, cruel manner. Bombay Mirror leaves the audience with a powerful message, that some things ARE very obviously black and white and should be openly condemned. Watch this Shlok Sharma piece of art to find out what they are.

Bombay Mirror | Short Film of the Day

In an ideal world, all religions have one name and that's faith. It unites all devotees and believers with a common thread, and this short film gives us a glimpse of this perfect universe. Hind takes the viewer into the life of Noorul Hasan, a Muslim from Lucknow, who gave away a part of his house to rebuild a temple. In a world which is constantly in the grasp of hate-mongering and sensationalist headlines, this film by Sumit Aroraa is the kind of art we need. Even in the face of all communal disharmony being perpetrated by a few for their own motives, there is another aspect of the picture which is more colourful and beautiful and therefore should be looked at closely. It's these colours that Hind will draw your attention to, and leave you with a sense of hope and love, irrespective of how dark things may seem.

Hind | Short Film of the Day

The short film could be about a lot of things, but essentially, it can all be condensed to a father's love for his children. While the love for his son might harden his heart in one situation, the love for his daughter melts it into warmth and affection in another. Made in honour of Major Udai Singh, an Indian army officer who succumbed to his injuries while fighting militants in Kashmir in 2003, the film explores one of the many ways his surviving family deals with grief. When his father’s laptop stops functioning, the company sends a technician whose name happens to be Imtiaz Khan. As the ageing father reluctantly opens his house to a Muslim, there’s indeed a long distance to be covered within the short duration of a couple of minutes.

The Complaint | Short Film of the Day

The film attempts a powerful message, especially relevant in contemporary times, in its short duration, employing a simple, lucid narrative. The most notable aspect of Mehtab (Light of the Moon) are the wonderful visuals, seamlessly weaved together to present its story to the viewer. Essentially, the film is a glimpse into a girl's life who eagerly awaits her father's letters. One day, when instead of going to class, she decides to sit down with sweets and one of the letters, what important message awaits her? The film is calm in its approach, and succeeds in applying it in a wonderful manner. Further, the eponymous name of the protagonist serves as a metaphor for light, both in her own life where a single mother takes care of her, as well as in a world that finds itself plagued with discrimination and communal disharmony.

Mehtab | Short Film of the Day

The short film has a wonderful message for the viewer - the universal nature of faith. No matter the name we choose for them, Bhagwan or Allah, they are all the same indeed. The strength of the film lies in its writing - how it uses the innocent questions of a child to remind grownups - the simplicity of a truth they have forgotten while raising imaginary walls and boundaries. Laddoo is a good short film, but what keeps it from being great is its massy nature. While keeping its audience in mind, it perhaps attempted to reach out to a larger section of society. This could perhaps explain why it rides so high on emotions, bordering on becoming maudlin in parts. All in all, a decently produced piece of art which deserves brownie points for the intention it sets out with.

Laddoo | Short Film of the Day

The thematic concerns of the narrative are several and include minority identity, one's relationship with religion, and finally, love that turns to hate and fires the desire for revenge. The film does a notable job of engaging with all of these, shining in some moments, owing primarily to a delicate handling of a sensitive thought, but sometimes, also lagging and bordering on sentimentalism. It would be erroneous to not point out that the plot, significant in its execution, presents the viewer with an involving take on father-son dynamics, marked by stubbornness and anger that the two characters come to mirror in each other. The film, essentially the story of a man who has witnessed tragedy, and is confronted with important questions and memories of the past, exhibits notable performances and storytelling, along with deep potential that can be explored further by the team in their future projects.

Zidd | Short Film of the Day

The film opens on a light note, beguiling the true sentiment that would come to constitute its core. Despite its short duration, Kandh De Paar skilfully touches upon several things that include one's sense of identity, notions of idealism juxtaposed against those of realism, minority persecution as well as an internal ideological battle of the protagonist. Visually, the narrative aims to play with sound (perhaps suggesting a delicate handling of violence) and all that unfolds on screen (red shadows cast on characters, for instance). The beginning of the narrative is simply a chaotic Sikh household dealing with its daily bickering and confusion. However, it immediately progresses to reveal a far darker reality that simmers just below the surface, one of the persecution of the Sikhs in 1984 in the wake of the assassination of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Both Taranjit Kaur and Guneet Singh Nanda bring the story to life with their notable performances and draw the viewer deep into it beyond the point of no return. It should be added that the film does indeed lose brownie points in the department of sound and certain camera angles which could gave gained with a little more polishing and sophistication. However, on the whole, it succeeds at presenting a moving portrayal of a gory and disturbing chapter of Indian history.

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