A viewer should go to Gadhedo unprepared and unsuspecting and allow themselves to be impressed and entertained by a wonderful short film. The story is of a small village where the local teacher lounges and relaxes at the cost of his pupils' education. As Monday becomes 'Monde' and week becomes 'weak', it is not hard to determine the direction his students are headed in. Add to all this his eccentric, witless landlord, and the drama of the film unfolds in the most unpredictable and engaging manner. The film is unique and refreshing in the style it adopts to tell its story, a folk tale, as it states at the start. It has several moments of brilliance as the viewer tries to pin it down to a genre - comedy, drama, thriller? What happens when a simpleton decides to pay a huge sum to his devious tenant to turn his donkey into a human? The consequences are hilarious, surprising and saddening - all at the same time, allowing Gadhedo to be a skilled and sophisticated piece of art.

Gadhedo | Vikrant Massey | Short Film of the Day

Manorath, which translates to desire or heart's hope, is a lovely, quiet story about an overlap of urban and rural sensibilities, the fleeting moment when they seem to have reached a common plane and the swift shattering of this space. The storytelling adopted to communicate the thought is not one marked by garishness or loud devices. Instead, in the same vein as that of a soulful Rabindranath Tagore narrative, for it is indeed The Postmaster by him that serves as the inspiration for the short film, it conveys its intentions and motivations. When a photographer visits a village for a work project, he finds himself striking an unlikely friendship with a ten-year-old girl. The latter helps the former make some sense of a territory formerly unknown to him where the only pass-time available is to visit a nearby river. However, despite his sleek gadgets and experiences of a city-life, he is unable to grasp how little these things mean for a girl who only seeks friendship and affection, and not any material gains he might secure for her. The film is notably lucid in conveying the same, leaving no doubt in the viewer's mind about its core message, in the process, allowing itself to be a successful final result.

Manorath | Short Film of the Day

The thematic preoccupation of the narrative is something small and mundane, and yet, for the characters involved, it is an issue of extreme importance. That perhaps is how life is constituted too, by small moments that may seem trivial in the larger scheme of things, but it is precisely these moments that come to define and comprise our lived reality. The narrative locates itself in a rural pocket of the country where, one day, some catfish is captured for food by a man and shared with those around him. However, the activity is not as simple as it sounds, and soon becomes a topic of great discussion as well as derision by the rest of the community. The film offers a convincing and authentic glimpse into the daily affairs of the village, and the several social equations within which they come to take form. The storytelling exhibits potential, even though the cinematography could have gained from a little more stability in the visuals. Overall, however, the film remains a notable attempt at sharing its story and intentions with the audience.

The Catfish | Short Film Nominee

Set in the remote desert plains of Singawal, Rajasthan, Ek Rajput Kisan is a meticulous account of the life of a tireless, skilled farmer, Ummed Singh Rathore. After decades of rigorous work under the scorching sun, the protagonist, equipped with good intuition and knowledge about agriculture, has successfully developed a name and estate for his family. 
Singh’s wife Gopal Kanwar proves to be a driving force in the journey as she looks after their extensive family’s well-being and ensures proper education for their children. Further, it explores many difficulties and issues faced by the family- Singh's near death experience, his deteriorating health, challenges for his kids, among others, but also an insurmountable spirit to overcome it all and keep pushing forth. 

 The short film aims to inspire in the viewer the ideals of hard work and determination, and the virtues of an unwavering spirit, as well as share with them a message about the betterment of society.

Ek Rajput Kisan | Short Film Nominee

After graduating from a premier institution in 2017, Amogh Sahaje chose to embark upon the road less taken. He
decided to travel, and live in a village, a community of “tribals”, untouched by modern technology.
Alternism documents brief excerpts from a conversation with Amogh about his experiences. 
Without using academic jargon or clichés, or even a dominant model of relativism which places the
European ideals of Enlightenment as the basis of all knowledge, Amogh narrates his observations of
the mode of working and functioning of this particular set of people. Through anecdotes and reflections, he paints a
picture of a community
which may seem “primitive” to the imperialistic, corporate-oriented development model, but is self-sustaining and growing in its own time, by its own standards.

Alternism | Short Film Nominee

The short film is simple and direct in its intentions. It wants to talk about an important concern, the significance of education, which it further ties with the familial space. Arpit and his Dau are farmers in rural Madhya Pradesh, shouldering the burden of survival. In the middle of it all, however, lies Arpit's deep dedication to education, much to the fury of his elder brother. Dau abuses his younger brother both verbally and physically, forcing him to work on their farm instead. Even in the face of all adversity, Arpit continues to push forth, never giving up on his academic pursuits, for he is driven by a very strong motivator - hope. The title of the film is eventually realized at the conclusion as the most pivotal development of the plot makes its presence known.

Umeed | Short Film Nominee

Indian society's relationship with menstruation and the female body is oppressive and disconcerting, to say the least. The idea of 'pure' and 'impure' is so intricately tied with a perfectly natural and normal biological process like menstruation that it leads to orthodox, conservative and deeply problematic practices. The school drop-out rate of girls in rural areas after they start menstruating is an index and direct reflection of the same issue. The short film is an engagement with these concerns, hitting the nail on the head right away regarding a very pertinent social message. It wastes no time in getting to the heart of things as it brings to life a reality where a young woman goes against her village to ensure education of the girl child. Daughter of the village head, she begins her fight at home, first endeavoring to change the mindset of those closest to her. The premise of the film is not unique, it is after all about a reality we are all too familiar with, leaving little room for novelty. However, it goes a step ahead to offer a solution to this malpractice by coherently and lucidly addressing the misconceptions and hypocrisy of a set of people who invoke the goddesses' name at every step, and yet, deny basic rights and facilities to the girls and women in their own families. By presenting forth all of these concerns, the film questions the marginalization of an entire set of people, the women and girls who make up half of the population, and urges the viewer to question and correct their own obsolete, unfair practices and beliefs.

Laali | Short Film Nominee

The film is set in a scenic, peaceful farmland where Nita, after eight long years of a competitive life in corporate New York, returns to reunite with her family. As she drags her heavy suitcase through the muddy, narrow village tracks, Pappu, who is usually busy grabbing chickens and gossiping with his buffalo Dumri, recognizes Nita and holds her up for a chat. 

 Nita reluctantly listens as he explains minute details of the livestock and his immense love for the quiet, dim village, despite the mockery and injustice he receives for being simpleminded. This contrasts with the fast-paced, exciting city where seemingly never-ending skyscrapers and Nita’s glowing dreams reside. Sharing her pain and difficulties with someone who has a lighter and easier take on life provides the protagonist a new perspective. Perhaps her ‘crisis’ is not as massive it seems, the narrative suggests.

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