While becoming a mother might be hailed as a miracle of nature, glorified in the most bombastic terms, what lies underneath is a huge, huge challenge for women. Your Second Home draws attention to this lesser talked about aspect of pregnancy. A woman's body undergoes tremendous change during the process. Forget normalisation, there isn't even awareness about the same. The short film attempts to change the same and succeeds gracefully. The taut plot further enhances the outcome of this effort and leaves the viewer better informed about this demanding stage, emotionally and physically, in a woman's life.

Your Second Home | Short Film of the Day

Radhika Apte shines brilliantly in the captivating 'Bold is Beautiful' short film series by Myntra. Unearthing an old piece of art is worth it if it conveys a message as relevant as this one. Shaheen, played by Apte, is a professional who is clearly great at her job, but her pregnancy is what concerns her colleagues more than her work. In a society, that equates pregnancy with being disabled, or as an angry Shaheen calls it, "handicapped", The Calling makes a much needed comment about the manner in which women are viewed as professionals. No, pregnancy doesn't mean end of their career and the short film ensures that this message is conveyed in the most emphatic manner.

The Calling | Short Film of the Day

The film constructs its world in an interesting manner, not revealing all its cards at first glance. When it opens, a baby and a man are present in a room. As they are soon joined by a woman, the picture of a family seems to be complete. However, only momentarily, and thus, the core conflict of this marriage is revealed to the viewer. 
Tara and Neel are about to head out for a baby shower, but it is the lead-up to this moment, primarily constituted by irritability and disagreements over small things like getting ready in time or buying the present for the imminent party, that reveals the true anxieties and stressors within the marriage. The film is marked by smooth performances, and storytelling that succeed in bringing this circumstance to life.

Parnu | Short Film of the Day

The year is 2030, a time when the world battles dire shortages of resources. From water to clean air, humans have run out of all of them, making population control a desperate need. Reproduction is now heavily controlled by the government, and is deeply mired in red-tapism and corrupt bureaucracy. 

Stuck at the receiving end of these myriad complications are the hapless Sagar and Varsha, a couple struggling with their marriage, and looking to have a child as a last attempt to save the relationship. At the expense of the couple’s misery, the viewer is allowed moments of humor. As an interaction develops with a government official, their relationship too undergoes its own tests in a moment of crisis, eventually coming out stronger at the end of it all. 

In the process, the dystopian reality of the film is tied with satire, and crucial comments about the world are intertwined with moments of frivolity and lightheartedness.

Mera Number Kab Aayega | Short Film of the Day

The short episode of perhaps a longer series begins with a peak, provocative moment. A woman finds out that she is pregnant, and it is not
a desirable circumstance for her to be in. Her prayer, which was more like a bait, a transaction she
offered to god, is rejected. With an opening like that, the viewer is already pulled in. We want to know
what happens next. 
But what soon unfolds is something that the usual viewer is not used to - none of the routine, boring, or
sad responses take place here. It is an urgent, peak,
moment and the narrative cannot waste its precious screen time on something pointless and drag. So,
neither does the woman break into a meltdown into the washroom cursing all her life’s decisions which
brought her to this point. Nor does she get dramatic with a monologue of her looking into the
mirror, bellowing, her eyeliner washed down. It doesn’t happen in this story because this is not how
women in the position that the character represents, react. There is no air of shame in the narrative. 
It would really be tempting for a show that begins with such a thumping to go down the lane of
melodramatic elements to want to keep up with the high pace it sets for itself, but it’s refreshing that
the show transcends that trap. 
So, the woman does what anyone in her position would do, she calls up her girlfriends for advice. The
perspectives that emerge from that video conference are all reasonable and sensible, and rational - as opposed to the over-the-top, excitable, or sloganeering dialogues that are given to women
characters on screen today. The women in this show talk the way ‘normal people’ talk with no one trying to
outsmart the other, but each one responding to the situation as is. This restraint in the narrative is more
interesting than what the characters say. 
In a scene, the woman who is pregnant, in the middle of all the chiding by her friends, breaks into
reminiscing the sexual memory of the act – all believable and funny! There are several such moments in
the episode.

Strapless | Short Film Nominee

The entirety of the plot is a conversation between two siblings, as they scream out each other's secrets to their mother from the terrace of their house. The film ropes in humour and the relatability of a sibling conflict to share its story. What starts off from a pregnancy test, concludes with a piece of cloth marked by its rainbow colours, and the statement they inherently carry within. As the shouting match continues, the secrets seem to be building up to something that would eventually come to alter the tone of the film in a permanent fashion. When it finally arrives, will the characters and the viewer be prepared for it? Secret endeavours to do its bit to normalise queer identities without giving in to sentimentalism or cliches. It weaves its story in a direct manner, along with skilled camerawork and an honesty to storytelling and performance.

Secret | Short Film of the Day

The scene is of a regular day when a housewife sits at home, watching a cooking show. After she learns the recipe, she decides to put her culinary skills to test, and cooks a seemingly palatable dish for herself. The narrative of Devour continues to develop in the most unexpected manner, catching the unsuspecting viewer completely by surprise with what it has in store for them. The narrative is paced and structured intelligently with equally competent camerawork to supplement and enhance it further. The execution of the story thus becomes a complete success, engaging, shocking and horrifying the viewer in equal measure. However, the film loses brownie points in the department of performances where it could have gained much more from better chemistry and character portrayal.

Devour | Short Film of the Day

The narrative invoked by You is short and to the point. It wastes no time in hitting the nail on the head and takes the viewer immediately into the heart of action. When the story opens, the protagonist is in an intense situation where the stakes are clearly very high. All of the drama is allowed to unfold by way of phone calls, while we are shown only the face of the protagonist, Arun. A call first from his wife, and then from his mother, give rise to a brief moment of respite, only to be followed by a far more shocking development - one steeped in sexism, misogyny and patriarchy. However, the manner in which Arun stands up against it, all along subscribing to the brevity of the narrative, manages to communicate the message in an impactful manner, enhanced by a dedicated performance.

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