Stories of perseverance inevitably become one of the most poignant stories ever told. This ad film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and narrated by Gulzar is a collection of four such stories. The film's visuals mostly refer to outdoor spaces whose beginnings and ends are undefined, perhaps suggesting the greatness of the subjects it portrays. Simply the stories by themselves were sufficient to make this film work. However, throw in powerful and impeccable narration, writing and direction, and the film truly becomes a magically moving product which touches the viewer deeply without being even remotely sentimental.

Celebrating India's Biggest Payments | Short Film of the Day

The aptly titled short presents to you a portrayal of the pursuit of excellence. A man wakes up at the crack of dawn, and ensures from thereon he is unstoppable in this pursuit. As he pushes himself beyond his limits, never stopping, never giving up, the message is thus presented in a direct manner. 
The competent, elegant visuals support the endeavor. Along with being coupled with a seamless edit, the presence of a fast-paced tempo of the progression further allows the narrative to succeed at talking about motivation, along with the significance of determination and resolve, which make excellence not an anomaly or some sort of a humongous achievement, but simply a habit.

Master Your Day | Short Film Nominee

The title will tell you that the film most likely revolves around mental health awareness. However,
barring the jaded first scene, the film makes quite interesting, subtle reflections on how pervasive the
impacts of anxiety can be. For instance, the very first dialogue talks about racing heartbeats. Kabir, the
protagonist immediately clarifies to the viewer that these heartbeats are not an outcome of fear but
brought out by a rare bout of excitement. This is an extremely detailed insight. Someone dealing with
anxiety will profess how accurate this sensation is. Anxiety keeps one’s body hostage in a flight or fight
mode so often that when a moment of positive excitement comes, it feels impossible to distinguish. 
It is difficult to say with authority how consciously and thoughtfully the filmmaker created this reference,
but what’s promising is that he sticks with it. The paralysing effects of everyday anxiety that push one
towards pursuing extreme perfectionism, which deprives you of even the simplest of moment of peace
or relaxation are emphasised continually through subtle references. Kabir is listening to rock music, but
thinking of EMIs, his friend congratulates him on getting the job but he is still reeling with self-doubt. 
When the news of the lockdown is announced, Kabir’s friend, immediately calls him to check up on him
and asks him to “not panic.” One again, to survivors of anxiety, this is a resounding reference. 
The writing is crisp, and on-point, and so is the acting. Impressive.

Vikalp | Short Film Nominee

The short film employs swanky visuals of a sleek looking vehicle to put its message forth for the viewer. The narrative is simply a reminder for them to come out of this quarantine armed with hope, faith and an indomitable spirit that refuses to give up in the face of all odds.

Drive Out Strong Post Lockdown | Lockdown Film Challenge

The narrative of the film is a story of obstacles, downfall, bleakness, and yet, rising from the ashes to give up another day. It maps the hurdles in the lives of different characters - from heartbreak, and financial loss that is a matter of daily livelihood, to snuffing out your dreams in order to conform to societal rules, the film invokes them all to present forth its story. It is a sincere attempt to weave a poetic narrative of hope and motivation, to remind the viewer to forever keep pushing forward, and it is this endeavour for which the film needs to be admired. Further, the camerawork shows potential and so do the performances. It would be a prospect to look forward to, to watch the young team engage in more such projects, similar or otherwise, in the future.

Wo Kehte Hai | Short Film Nominee

The film wants to invoke a conversation on a very relevant aspect - mental health during the pandemic and the adverse consequences the latter has had on the former. It opens with a character who has already ended his life by suicide, marked by the noose around his neck. He is soon joined by another, well-dressed man. As stories are exchanged, the viewer is taken into both of their lives - one marked by intense financial trouble, the other by emotional. If one man shares his woes about unemployment and his inability to support his family in the face of absolutely no help available from his near and dear ones, the other becomes a story of heartache and a romance gone awry. Through the companionship that the two characters find in each other, the film wants to remind the viewer of the importance of reaching out to one another and also that hope and help will always be available, in the process, becoming an attempt to initiate a conversation on mental health.

Too Late | Short Film Nominee

The first person narrative is a dedicated, sweet endeavor that takes you into the life of the protagonist and his many emotions and moods. From his struggles to following an academic pursuit he had little interest in, to still making time for his passion somehow - the narrative brings to life all of it, and more. The final result shows the desire to exercise original, independent thought, while also endeavoring to push boundaries of creative attempts. More projects of the kind are a welcome prospect, and should be engaged with further. At its conclusion, the story aims to leave you with a sense of hope and motivation, perhaps a source of comfort as well as a reminder for the future for the protagonist himself.

Resurgence | Short Film Nominee

Dhun is poetry about life - it’s small joys, and big disappointments, it’s few victories and many trials.
Through a beautiful, moving lyric, the film strings together the fears, anxieties and issues faced by
various individuals at different stages in their life. On one level, the film is also a meditation on the
process of writing and the many dilemmas that one encounters within the creative method itself. On another, it
asserts that these creative confusions are not removed from the ethical dilemmas of life.

Dhun | Short Film Nominee

The short film is a sincere attempt to invoke a sense of hope in everyone who finds their spirit daunted by a quarantined reality in a world that is afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic. The narrative is a reminder to never give in even in the face of adverse situations that might make you resort to excuses. However, now is the time to truly work on yourself, underlines Home, Hope and Hard Times.

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