Women are almost always policed and monitored for the clothes they wear and the manner they behave in a public space, to ostensibly protect them from the lechery of men who would lose no opportunity to objectify female bodies. However, men are nowhere close to being told as often to not let their eyes wander in the first place. The short film raises the same concern through the character of a man who requires a serious shaking out of his patterns of commodifying women. The father of a daughter himself, it finally takes the question of the safety of a family member that makes him realise the folly of his ways. The film thus becomes a dedicated attempt to contribute to the conversation on child sexual abuse, paedophilia and the manner in which men view women, especially in the Indian society.

My Super Hero | Short Film Nominee

When the film opens, the viewer has little idea of what they are in for. Soon, we see a daughter arriving to take care of the last rituals and customs following her father's bereavement. We are further taken into a world of compassionate neighbours, social media outpouring of condolences and the woman preparing to donate her father's things to an old age home. The first prominent instance of unease comes in the form of a little girl's refusal to enter the house despite the protagonist's welcoming invitation. It is at this moment that we begin to realise that something is deeply amiss. Simply the sounds from a laptop, minus any visuals, are sufficient to invoke a terrible reality, one that includes the collective trauma of several victims and survivors, and the monster who inflicted it. The film has a very important message, especially specific to Indian society. The narrative, in the process, becomes a devoted attempt to raise awareness about a particular kind of sexual abuse and assault on those who are not equipped to protect themselves.

In Loving Memory | Short Film Nominee

The film uses a dark premise as its subject matter, quite contrary to the note it opens on. The scene is of an average household where a woman is preparing a meal for her family. However, soon a phone call from her friend, takes her back to some turbulent memories which prove to be disturbing both for her as well as the viewer. Neethee is about a paedophile and the abuse he subjects a little girl to. It is also about the path of revenge, along with being an exploration of ideas of justice. The narrative is predominantly constituted by a moment in the past and how a sense of being wronged can often lead people to set it right irrespective of the extent of the consequences. All of these elements are tied together for the plot to come together, one marked by its secrecy that eventually unravels to put forth its message for the audience.

Neethee: Justice Prevails | Short Film Nominee

The short film invokes a commentary on sexual abuse, paedophilia and cybercrime, and how susceptible teenagers, in general, and young girls, in particular, are to it. The story uses young love as its premise, but things soon take a turn for the worse. A girl finds herself falling prey to the charms of a boy her own age who has befriended her over social media. However, their love story blossoms to reveal a far disturbing reality, further drawing the viewer's attention to the stigma surrounding the victims and survivors of sexual crime. The film, thereby, reiterates the absolute need to break the silence around these heinous acts so that those who are at the receiving end of it do not feel shame and guilt in calling out their abuser.

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