The protagonist of the film, Rajat, is dealing with a traumatic emotional upheaval, the loss of his wife, Pritha, to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is coupled with the isolation of a locked down world which has further left him struggling to come to terms with the pain and grief. 
With only a sincere, close friend by his side, Rajat is gradually succumbing to his reality. The narrative explores all of these emotions, engaging with the different stages of grief. There is the attempt to talk about serious mental health concerns, and the adverse ways in which the pandemic worsened them. However, as for the protagonist, while things may seem extremely bleak on the horizon, could Rajat find it in him to accept the circumstance, and eventually, the strength to move on?

Pulse | Short Film Nominee

Trigger warning: self-harm 
A deeply troubled man stands before a noose, about to take his life by suicide when the most unexpected stranger runs into him. Once the suicide attempt is halted, an entirely new conversation ensues. The man, Aditya, who has completely given up on life, is engaged in an exchange by the stranger, Abhinav, who makes him question the folly of his decision, with the reminder of the pain and grief that would be left behind if he ends his life. 

The writing of the film, and particularly Aditya’s character, brings in a sense of having been betrayed by others, lied to by your loved ones who either only pretend to care, or simply dismiss with toxic positivity when one begins to share their sorrow with them. 

The performances of the two actors are smooth and free-flowing, allowing the screenplay to exhibit clarity and earnestness. Even if the narrative comes to be marked by a certainty of development, the points it presents remain extremely emphatic and relevant, pronouncing a very important message about mental health.

Is That You? | Short Film Nominee

A tattoo artist is closing his studio at the end of the day when he is visited by an unexpected patron. She has arrived with a very pressing demand. Vikram is late for his birthday dinner, all his friends have already reached the venue, and yet, he decides to help out the young woman with the quick task. As the two engage in a conversation, a horrifying story develops, one that presents an overlap between the most terrifying experience of the girl at a conversion therapy facility, and another sinister occurrence awaiting Vikram. 

The film becomes an earnest effort in storytelling that utilizes a limited physical space to portray its reality. The narrative simply offers a moment in time without the cause-and-effect relationship of its many events. Hence, if '12.12' is developed into a longer project with all of these details, it would enrich the story further.

12.12 | Short Film Nominee

The primary motivation of the film is to educate the viewer on the topic of borderline personality disorder or BPD. Depending on the intensity of the condition, BPD can be severely debilitating for someone who battles it, along with being hugely intensive and demanding an experience for the carers as well. The short film, equipped with camerawork and visuals that exhibit skill and sincerity, is an engagement with the same issue. Its protagonist, Amy, is a young woman who struggles to cope with her circumstance, and despite the best efforts of those around her, she still finds herself drowning in hopelessness and despair.

 Happy B'day, Amy brings this reality to life to elucidate its point. By tying together different elements of storytelling and filmmaking, combinations that are sometimes marked by a little dissonance within the narrative, one of the many aspects and issues pertaining to mental health is shared with the audience.

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