Fit India is the story of twenty-five-year-old Ganika who is overweight, and faces constant body shaming.
She suffers repeated rejections by suitors who come to examine her, as is customary in an arranged
marriage set-up in India. Ganika strives to balance her own self-esteem and aspirations with the social
expectations. 
On the surface level, the film is light-comedy that imbibes millennial jargon and behaviours to become
relatable and consumable. The lead actor playing Ganika, as well as the rest of the cast, live up to
what’s expected of their performance. However, it also seeks to straddle its own aspirations of
delivering something new and unique, and an attempt to employ mainstream tropes in order to increase its appeal for a larger section of the audience. The film offers a simple engagement with issues of body shaming and how it gets tied with the patriarchal gaze of Indian society, while perhaps also striving for introspection of their own thoughts and perspectives on the part of the viewer.

Fit India | Short Film Nominee

It’s always interesting to watch a film blend another modern art form into its narrative. In this case,
it is the Archie comics series that inspires the story, and conveys how art has the power to transport us
into worlds beyond our own. Khayali Pulao charts an episode in Archit’s (inspired by the comic hero,
Archie) life: the aftermath of his girlfriend, Natasha, punching him, and the events that unfold post and
prior to the incident. 
For what it sets out to do, with that simple thread, the film achieves its aim. It’s quirky in its appeal and
fun to watch. It’s a quintessential urban buddy film/romedy, and entertaining at that.

Khayali Pulao | Short Film Nominee

Fleeting dreams is an interesting film that stays true to its title. A director pens down his
thoughts about a story he wants to write. It is not just the narrative of the fictional story he puts down,
but also his process of writing it. He ruminates over anecdotes and experiences from his own life. He
creates a character who is different from him, something of the kind of man he wants to be. It may seem
like a pursuit of a fantasy on a textual level, but perhaps a more useful way to talk about the film is to see
it as personal, almost confessional. 
The writing is quite perceptive. The self-consciousness of the writer even makes the film insightful at
times. The way he weaves experience and lessons from those experiences makes it an earnest venture. 
The only limitation is that the screenplay becomes a bit too literal at times; there are some
beautiful shots, one just wishes there were more.

Fleeting Dreams | Short Film Nominee

Set on scenes from the life of a couple in lockdown, the film is quirky, fun, and sweet. Do unique
circumstances bring out unique traits in people? The film leaves you asking for more, wanting to know
more. The Perfect Couple appears like an honest attempt at filmmaking in the age of instant video apps.

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