‘Tabula Rasa’ is marked by a very singular voice when it comes to storytelling. The story it shares is pronounced in the title itself, the idea of a blank slate. However, what goes on the slate makes all the difference. 

A family of four battles financial instability, and the tribulations that follow in its wake. Amidst it all, the sound of a television set remains a constant companion for the children as well as their disgruntled father. The mindless, mute consumption of everything that it offers influences their lives in an unalterable and irreversible manner. 

The film, thus, also offers social commentary and the many ways society can be molded by the lies and illusions we are peddled on screen and in media. Violence, accidents, loss, and tragedy become inadvertent components of this reality, and the film presents a competent endeavor to explore the same.

Tabula Rasa | Short Film of the Month

It’s been the end of a long day for a man who works at the crematorium. The narrative soon progresses to reveal how each day at this job is indeed a long one, owing to the very nature of what he does. 


As the protagonist sits down to unwind with a drink and finish the last formalities of the day, he is joined by 50-year-old Haridas, the man he cremated earlier, and thus develops an exchange from the realm of a fantasy-drama. 

The conversations conjure philosophical and existential themes as the two characters discuss their personal tragedies and afflictions. The plot shares all of this without burdening the narrative as the exchange remains seamless and forward-moving. Notwithstanding a little rawness, the end result is an efficient utilisation of the actors and the screenplay, and establishes an unmissable tonality and vision which evidences potential and paves the path for future explorations.

Chitragupta of the Crematorium | Spotlight

The short film opens on a harmless note, a man asking his domestic help to fetch him ghee from the kitchen. However, before the viewer can write the scene off as a mundane occurrence in a regular Indian household, the unease of the help is made clear. She is distracted and lost, perhaps preoccupied with something darker and more disconcerting. The plot develops to reveal a lovely juxtaposition of privilege and deprivation, of a cushy urban existence that talks of slight weight gains and lazing around the house, alongside a migrant labourer crisis of a country that battles a pandemic. The contrast is foregrounded in a potent manner, allowing the film to succeed at putting forth its concerns notably before the audience.

Brouhaha | Short Film Nominee

The film aims to draw a contrast between the haves and have-nots by juxtaposing two scenes against each other. First, we are presented with a dinner party. The setting communicates some of the many ways in which a person’s location in society insulated them against the ravages of the pandemic. While one is a scene of abundance, the other is a suggestion of another reality where sustenance and nourishment are extremely scarce. A character on the table remains more disconcerted than the others at the awareness of this fact. Our characters are not devoid of a conscience, or at least some sense of moral responsibility, and yet, they remain notably protected in their lives. It is only when the film presents the second scene, devoid of any dialogue, that the juxtaposition is complete. If the premise is explored further in more detail in future works, it would surely serve to enhance the storytelling established in the current narrative.

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