The short film is beautifully inspired by Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis in which the protagonist wakes up to find himself transformed into a cockroach. Borrowing the same metaphor, it attempts to show how humans are no less than insects in an arbitrary, murky world of poverty, chronic diseases, and the constant struggle to survive. The color palette of the visuals is of dirty greens, browns, and greys, to further invoke a sense of filthiness associated with insects, or humans who are not rendered any more valuable than them in a society where a father and his son fight with the latter's oral cancer. Amidst these hues of dirt and filth, the red scarf of the boy stands out. It perhaps serves to draw the viewer's attention to how he comes to be the only voice of hope in the narrative. However, this voice is soon snuffed out since a bright crimson has no place amidst illness and pain, a folly that will be realized immediately, but not soon enough.

Metamorphosis | Short Film of the Month

Malota is unique and refreshing in the manner in which it tells its story. While the adults struggle with practical concerns of sustenance and survival, the world of children has very different issues to deal with. When the birth of puppies throws young Gulaab's plans to finish his homework, the fear of a ruthless teacher's thrashing leads him to bunk school. What he learns outside the institutionalised centre of learning is perhaps more likely to stay with him than the table of 12.75. The film pays close attention to detail and is endearing and profound in equal measure.

Malota | Short Film of the Day

Based on a true story of a farmer's suicide in Maharashtra, the short film reminds the viewer that the simplest of stories can be the most hard-hitting. Art indeed is an imitation of reality which is often what makes it disconcerting. The narrative is linear, straight and simple, yet weaved in a manner that will make the film stay with the audience for a very long time. Giving us a glimpse into the plight of an onion farmer, the short film delineates a trip he makes to a local mandi to sell his harvest. The exploitation at the hands of the buyers is brazen enough to be even dismissed by his young son as being ridiculous. On the other hand, the farmer, bound by need and poverty, has no alternative, but to accept it. The whole act is vehemently rejected by the child, who violently protests against it. His father, however, can do little beyond weeping at a fate out of which only death seems to be a certain escape.

Mandi | Short Film of the Day

Our introduction to the primary characters in the film is marked by the struggle to survive in a world where a man and a woman somehow manage to make ends meet. When they come home, it is an image of domestic bliss, despite all the obstacles they have to overcome to secure it. Together with their little daughter, they share a meal, play a game of ball and ensure an environment of love and positivity. However, before you realize it, the film brutally undercuts the tone established so far.

 The family of working-class parents makes an honest living by day, but by night, it runs a business of
deception that the film calls a transaction in compassion. There is a challenging of the moral compass, as
notions of truth and reality are thrown off. The thing is that once a sense of mistrust seeps into the
narrative through one opening, it can easily breed distrust in the whole body. 

The long hours at work and the constant undercurrent about having made enough money acquires a distinct identity of its own, revealing to you a world that harbours some extremely unpalatable circumstances. Guilt, discomfort, compulsions and responsibilities of being parents, are all weaved together for the narrative to come into its own. 
Unsettling and disturbing, Dayalu is a complex film to unpack. The narrative remains as inward looking as it is reflective of the outside world.
With a cast of fine actors, there is no shortage of intense performances either. Additionally, there is thought, commitment and a demand on the viewer to engage. The questions that the
plot asks of the audience are all extremely crucial, presenting a loud and resounding comment on society that will stay with them long after they are done watching it.

Dayalu | Vipin Sharma | Short Film of the Month

Three orphan boys, who somehow fight back the many obstacles of penury to survive, one day scrap enough money to visit the local carnival. As Monty, Kamal and Kunnu reach the fare, little are they aware of how an entry ticket too has to be bought first.


 Spending all their money at the entrance itself leaves them with none for rides or other colorful, dazzling attractions the space holds. As they move from one mini-adventure to another, vicariously enjoying the fare through other patrons, while also longingly staring at the families and children who got dealt a better hand at life than them, the visit nevertheless becomes full of surprises and twists. All of these visuals enjoy the portrayal they deserve with sophisticated camerawork and a judicious use of a very young cast.

 Things finally come to a head in a high-paced chase scene which completely alters the course of the night, and perhaps, also the lives of the little boys. As the older boy comforts the younger one with truths he is not entirely sure of himself, the viewer is allowed a poignant moment where a child is deprived of the innocence of childhood, and forced by the many cruelties of the adult world to acquire the role of the protective caretaker. This protectiveness is evident right from the very start; the undeniable sense of the three of them against the world pervades the plot throughout, allowing us an endearing story of friendship, camaraderie, but one which is cut too short too soon by tragedy.

Mela | Short Film of the Month

A Christmas Carol is a story of one afternoon and a conversation between a dejected man and a cheerfully unconcerned boy. The former has had a rough day and is in no mood for the boy's chatter. The latter, on the other hand, is unstoppable in sharing his love for dance and his approach to life. The story is notably well-written and is beautiful in its simplicity. As the two exchange their dreams and stories, a sense of hope and perseverance is invoked which is perhaps all the Christmas cheer one needs this festive season. The film is heartwarming, innocent and goes to show the importance of good narratives in determining a film's success.

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