The music video, with its title translating to 'prayer', is a wonderful splash of colors, matched in its approach by the overall aesthetic and ambience of the narrative. Similar visuals of a man lying down against different backgrounds are put next to each other to enhance it all. The video thus becomes a stringing together of vast expanses of the sea, rocks and the endless sky, as if viewed from the eyes of a divine being looking down upon earth from their heavenly abode. 
The sole character of the video sings to an unnamed, nondescript god about the state of things on the planet. Even as he sings for protection from imminent obstacles, there is still the invocation of an unexpected, uplifting sense of hope and warmth. The vocals are equally matched, and ensure that the final result is presented forth in a balanced, wholesome manner.

Prarthaney | Short Film of the Day

Marked by a frugality of dialogue and words, often allowing a strong background score to fill any consequent lacunas, the film does a notable job of drawing parallels between the fate of a woman and a water body. It is in this manner that Jahnabi becomes a bridge, an unbreakable link, between nature and the humans who engage and interact with it on a regular basis. What the narrative achieves seamlessly is to draw a jarring comparison between the wrongs done to both of these, the woman and the river, and yet, their course continues, unceasing, unrelenting. As they meander through the several curves and highs and lows, an existence of betrayals, cruelties, and sometimes plane indifference, is realised. Shot in nineteen locations across India, the film employs skilled camerawork, matched by equally complementary music to bring to life a remarkable story of love, loss and longing. In this world of heartache and sadness, dreams often bleed into reality and vice-versa, blurring the boundaries of what is real and what isn't. However, the overarching reminder about the fateful existence of women as well as the water bodies, specifically in contemporary India, remains a lucid, unequivocal message of the film for the viewer.

Jahnabi | Shorted Screening

The realm of the film is defined entirely by symbolism and metaphors to present the internal struggles of the protagonist. As he sits by himself fixing a clock, perhaps he is attempting to fix, understand, and even dispel the many mysteries of time itself. His tinkering with the object, and all that it can potentially stand for soon takes us into a world of vast expanses of nature, abound by mystical and magical creatures and occurrences. Three characters in hooded capes, the myriad elements of nature, all thrive here. As the protagonist traverses a journey from darkness to light, can these elements lead him to wings, wisdom, and a soaring flight? A strong voiceover and performances, written and executed with care, and interwoven with competent visuals, share the film's world with the viewer. The obscure explorations constitute the young man’s journey, eventually presenting the answer to this question.

Exodus | Short Film of the Day

The documentary highlights the importance of bees to the environment and our day-to-day life. The protagonist, a nature-lover himself, shares his journey of being a corporate employee located at the heart of a concrete jungle to being a bee conservationist. The film employs skilful camera angles to take the viewer into his world of bees, honey and his constant endeavours to protect their balance. The Bee Rescuer draws attention to several important concerns that include the aftermath of burning down even one bee hive, something an average individual would not care to think about. Consequently, the film becomes very relevant in contemporary times when the planet and the environment are already under threat, and offers coherent, comprehensive arguments, supported by lucid facts, to drive its point home.

The Bee Rescuer|Short Film of the Day

The music video, Panixiya, opens with a young woman, dressed in the traditional Assamese attire of sador-mekhela, peacefully gazing at a fish in a big bowl of water. She moves inside her mud house and transfers the fish to a smaller bucket. The bucket and its companion travel to calm waters, through the green lands and village roads as a woeful voice sings in the background. The sad, rhythmic melody talks of a pained life, one constituted by umpteen mistakes, distant relationships and unfulfilled emotions. 

Through the notable vocals, tied effortlessly with the visuals unfolding before you, the narrative endeavors a story about existence and its relationship with the human soul, the many struggles that confine and threaten to consume it and its relentless efforts to push through, even when all seems lost and overwhelmed by despair. With no direct translation in the English language, the title of the film thus becomes an evocation of a philosophy which views the fish as our mortal coil swimming in the endless, unpredictable, unknown waters of existence.

Panixiya | Short Film of the Day

The music video is a stunning dedication to travel and the humbling beauty of nature that often accompanies it. The visuals flow smoothly as you are taken along on a bike trip with the protagonist. From snow-capped peaks to looming mountains to glaciers, streams and rivers which navigate them all, images of nature are invoked in all their glory. As the audio of a soulful song are coupled with them, the narrative leaves you with a resounding reminder about taking pause to truly notice the magnificence around you. The vast landscapes, endless in their size, varied in their terrain, are especially more beautiful in a world that is only beginning to come out of a pandemic. After having been confined indoors for a year, the music and visuals of Khoye Pal would indeed leave you with a balmy, heartwarming message about humankind's location in a massive world that is waiting to open all its doors to you, as long as you have the inclination to stay and listen for a while.

Khoye Pal | Short Film of the Day

Julley is based on conversations with Babar Ali, a cross-country traveler and a doctor from Bangladesh, about his philosophy, adventures in the Himalayas and choice of an unconventional life. It was
the stories of Samresh Majumdar that inspired Ali to come to Kolkata, to the streets he found so familiar, but had only seen and experienced on the pages of a book so far. It was those stories that first
developed a longing for the Himalayas, a longing which he says still persists. “I like the mountains
because they make me feel small,” says the mountaineer who works as a doctor in a Rohingya refugee
camp. Ali lives his lives by his own rules, with his desire for a freedom which he believes is impossible in the
plains. The film celebrates this free spirit of the life of this doctor-cum-mountaineer.

Julley | Short Film of the Day

The film engages with a noble cause, drawing the viewer’s attention to the issue of environmental damage. The approach adopted for the same remains experimental, employing metaphors and personification. A man is on a quest for truth, exploring the wilderness with only his camera as companion. His path soon crosses with that of a woman who is playful, alluring and mysterious, all at the same. However, before he can pursue the truth that she has to offer, standing in as a personification of nature itself, he is halted by another man. By the weaving of the three characters together, the film presents its intentions to you, coupling them with visuals and world-building that leave the door open for more similar storytelling endeavors by the team.

Kalika | Short Film Nominee

The short documentary is a captivating glimpse into the flora and fauna of the Ranthambore National Park, with especial focus on the magnificent Bengal tigers. Alongside the introduction to a mother and her cubs exists the portrayal of a large number of other animals, and the many ways in which they have adapted to the habitat for their own survival. The visual development of the narrative remains its biggest strength, triumphing other raw edges that might constitute the film. Tying it all together is a sweet glimpse into a small tiger family, as well as a brief window into their hunting habits. All of this is then condensed within a brief five minutes and thus presented to the audience.

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