Locating itself during a very pivotal moment in history, the 1947 partition of India, the short film introduces the viewer to the social milieu of the time. Using the same as the hinterland against which the narrative unfolds, the film allows its concerns to achieve a more localised, personal and intimate approach. 

 While at first glance the period drama might seem like the story of the communal tensions and the absolute chaos that ravaged the towns that were close to the soon to be mapped out India-Pakistan border, it is much more than that. It is after this realisation that the film becomes the story of an eccentric and temperamental writer who introduces us to his own stories through the dilemmas and conflicts of the characters in his mind. Their visual representation allows almost an other-worldly, surreal quality to the film. 

 As stories of entire cultures get rewritten by history, portrayed by a film whose title, Ardhviram, or semicolon, is a direct echo of something that does not denote completion in itself, where will the protagonist find himself with respect to the thoughts and experiences that consume him, as well as his personal struggles as a writer?

Ardhviram | Short Film Nominee

The story of the film locates itself in pre-Independence 1947 India. It takes us into the very brutal struggle of the Indians against not only the colonisers but their fellow-Indians as well who had no qualms in following the orders of their imperial masters. Amidst it all is the life of Kali Bai, a young Adivasi girl who was fearless in her rejection of not only the regime but also standing up for her teacher who had taught her the importance of strength, irrespective of gender. In the process, education of young girls and its absolute significance in understanding right from wrong becomes a core message of this historical drama film.

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