Kriti is a chill-inducing psychological thriller, sufficient to be the stuff of nightmares. Supplemented effortlessly by the brilliance of Manoj Bajpayee and Radhika Apte, the short film is intelligent and unpredictable. While most mainstream art struggles to discuss mental health, Kriti does it in the most subtle and adept manner. When a writer is plagued with a mental disorder, he might find solace in another writer who has mental health issues of her own. Looks like two people have found each other to even out their own imperfect edges, but the human mind is an interesting thing, and has something completely different up its sleeve. Ensure that you're safely tucked in bed, all doors are tightly shut and all lights switched on before you attempt find out what that is.

Kriti | Short Film of the Day

Two boys are about to do a strip of a hard drug, being little to completely unprepared for what is to come. Parallel to this is another scene, a heated argument unfolding between the parents of the protagonist who are deeply unhappy with their son. The bitterness and resentment continue to build on both sides, exacerbated by drugs, until the film crescendos into a point of no return. The true strength of the narrative lies in the manner the screenplay is constructed to portray the swiftly unraveling state of intoxication. The edit, musical choices as well performances, all supplement it in the most fitting manner (notwithstanding a few rough edges in sound dubbing). The final result maintains its tautness and energy throughout, constructing a narrative that both engages and entertains.

Pash | Short Film Nominee

‘Sweven’, a narrative marked less by verbal exchanges and more by visual drama, is a story of a man’s interactions with dreams and nightmares. As sleep bleeds into waking life, the film comes into existence. It is marked by notable pacing and a smooth edit that allows it to put forth its intentions in an unmissable manner. 

Additionally, a sense of suspense, violence and the overwhelming unknown are roped in to enhance the story, while also keeping the viewer engaged throughout. It would be interesting to see the short film expanded into a longer narrative, with the current project simply serving as a premise, taking us deeper into the protagonist's disconcerting reality.

Sweven | Short Film Nominee

What happens if your biggest fear was standing or walking? Not because you have a physical disability, but simply because your mind has convinced you that that indeed is the worst possible fate. Such is the life of someone struggling with stasiphobia. The short film gives us a moving glimpse into an ordinary day of a young boy who suffers from the phobia. As he struggles to answer the door, having already given up on his ringing phone, the viewer is introduced to an unfathomable reality, one where your own mind has turned against itself. While Akash Pandey's thought to talk about a reality known by very few in an intelligently titled film is noteworthy, it's further supplemented by Aditya Pandey's convincing performance. The short film also deserves praise for the use of minimalistic frames and resources in a visual product where its cinematography could have been a disadvantage.

Floor Is Lava | Short Film of the Day

The film opens on Dr Vaidya’s final day at work before retirement from his practice as a psychiatrist. While the doctor is taking care of some final tasks, after giving instructions to his junior, Dr Radhika, he finds himself before an unexpected visitor, Ajay, a former patient who had been in isolation until that point. 

Through the conversation that ensues between the two, the film exhibits strength and potential in terms of writing and storytelling. As the characters continue to argue it out, they both present their respective points on the significance, juxtaposed against the pitfalls and adverse consequences, of the treatment of those with mental disorders. Two opposite ends of the spectrum are painted for the viewer. 

The tension continues to mount until the narrative reaches a point from where there is no looking away. Even at this juncture, it offers one final development that endeavors to thicken the plot further, finally tying its many components together.

Newton's Pendulum | Short Film Nominee

Arun is a disturbing film. It brings to light the reality of men who are seemingly ‘normal’, living ‘ordinary’
lives, while keeping their dark evil intentions under wraps. They fly under the radar and miss jurisdiction
because of the garb of the relationships around them. Psychopaths and serial killers choose and hunt
their prey, they do not reveal themselves to everyone, but only the vulnerable. 
It is a scary thought to live with those men, more than we know, who are triggered into violence so easily. The
film manages to transfer that anxiety onto the viewer.

Arun | Short Film Nominee

‘Nova’ offers a sleek narrative about primarily a single night, and a conversation that unfolds during it between two people, Noel and Varun. However, the viewer is allowed a detail Noel remains oblivious to throughout - Varun is simply a figment of his imagination, the result of a fractured psyche, ensuring that he is the only one who is able to see and interact with Varun. 
The story that is thus presented is complete with elements of crime, action and thrill, along with invoking ideas of familial ties, loss and trauma. Though a little rough around the edges, it manages to present a plot with a balanced beginning, middle and end.

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