‘Together’ is a quiet story which is nevertheless marked by a powerful and empathic voice. Munmun, a single parent and thus, the sole earner of her family, is a domestic help who is out of work because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Without making it explicit, the film presents the dire financial straits of the protagonist who has not made rent in two months. 

Consequently, one day when an opportunity knocks on the door, living for a week at the house of an unwell couple, she is quick to take it, leaving her two young children by themselves at home. The lady of the house, taking care of her Covid-stricken husband, is cold and unkind in her approach to the hardworking Munmun. 

Along with the many difficulties which the pandemic presented to people across the spectrum, both the privileged and otherwise, the film also offers a trajectory of kindness, from standoffishness to concern to an eventual softening of the heart. However, the question intrinsic to the narrative remains that when this kindness finally arrives, would it be enough, and would it be in time?

Together | Short Film of the Month

The story of Falana Dhimkana is of three different pairs of people and their individual struggles. The narrative is an exploration of the less significant moments of life, those which fall between the cracks of milestones and landmark achievements. The style of the film adopts the most natural flow and offers a beautiful portrayal of several things - from union and partings to hardships and most universal of them all, pain. The film comes across as a wise decision by the young filmmaker Prannoy Mehta to talk about concerns no grander than heartbreak, financial trouble and raw, honest intimacy between two people. All of this is gracefully weaved together with the stories of its characters, rendered convincingly by the actors. Falana Dhimkana is subtle, soft, and a reminder that irrespective of where we may be in life, pain finds us all in the end, but so does hope, happiness and joy.

Falana Dhimkana | Short Film of the Day

When the protagonist, a waged laborer, injures his finger, everything in his life goes for a toss. The narrative does an especially remarkable job to conjure his reality and then share it with the viewer in a calm, poignant fashion. 

Hard-pressed for money, and unaware of the many complex machinations of a world that is ruled and controlled by privilege, more precisely, financial privilege in this case, he is unable to find the help he needs. His movement from one health professional to another with each telling him a different version and treatment of his ailment, all in the face of his laconic, wordless personality, brings to life a crucial story. 

Along with performances, the end result also embellishes itself with notable writing and an insightful grasp of human experience. As for the protagonist, despite the many hardships of his life, the cyclical nature of existence continues, with the inability to break out of the overwhelming impediments that lie in his path.

Pasti | Short Film Nominee

The metaphor of sound and its related processes - hearing, communicating, listening, comprehending and accepting - all of them together constitute the central metaphor of the narrative. The absence of these processes, the act of being able to hear each other, presents to the viewer the story of Vijay and his family. His father lives with a disability, thereby leaving the onus of fending for the family on his wife and the eldest son. 

Vijay’s younger brother, Varun, has withdrawn into his own little world, away from the many tribulations that his mother and sibling deal with on a daily basis. Vijay too leads a double life his family has no idea about. The narrative weaves all these elements together seamlessly, offering a poignant story of a broken household where each character inhabits their own realm. The performances further bolster this reality, as does the writing. 
 
Vijay’s vulnerabilities, hopes, and dreams, as well as his mother’s quiet suffering, alongside his father’s rage at an existence that has confined him to a life of immobility, are all shared in a skilled manner. The film loosens a little towards the conclusion, especially after presenting a potentially powerful climax, but that’s a wrinkle that can be overlooked in favor of everything else the plot offers.

Vakh Vakh Sansaar  | Short Film of the Month

The short film introduces us to two actors with diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Both of them wait in the green room, preparing for a scene crucial for their respective careers - a role with dialogues. Their contrasting personalities depict the different mindsets, opinions and ways of life the two generations have.
 

On the one hand, we have the calmer and humbler older artist who has made peace with his current place in the industry, he understands its inner workings and thus, radiates a positivity and gravity that accompanies maturity. On the other, there is the impulsive, motivated younger artist who is still trying to understand and perfect the art form, along with the work and the life that it constitutes. As they connect and discuss the nitty-gritty of their personal and professional lives as actors, a deep bond and understanding develops.

Green Room: Thehrav | Short Film Nominee

‘Nauha’, or a mournful song or lamentation, elucidates its primary idea in the title itself. It is a story of the burden of human existence, and the struggle to survive it, or be crushed under its weight while trying. We experience the narrative through the eyes of three characters, a man, a woman and a little girl. If one of them finds himself giving in to excesses and debauchery, the other is willing to end a life of its own travails, as well as that of her little, unsuspecting daughter. The last of them, the child, still unaware and uninitiated in the cruelties of the world, is simply a mute, powerless receptor. It is in the weaving of these three stories that the film comes into being.

Nauha | Short Film Nominee

Shorted

An artist, Umair has reached a point in his life where all seems lost. There are no patrons for his art, his girlfriend Zoya has ended their relationship due to his failure to secure stability in his finances, work, or life, and soon after, an art curator tells him she won’t be able to exhibit his work at an upcoming event. 

 
At the same time, Umair discovers the artwork of a former domestic help in his house, which truly impresses the curator. While ignoring calls from a persistent caller, he does not tell the curator that the paintings do not belong to him.

All of this develops into two defining moments, one about a crucial decision that Umair has to make, a decision that would also eventually complete his character trajectory, and the other about a woman who has to choose between love and professional demands. 
The manner in which the narrative is weaved shows profound potential and earnestness, much of which also translates into the final result, even if not going all the way. At the heart of the story, however, remains the question about what would be Umair’s decision regarding the treasure trove of paintings he has found. The same keeps the viewer’s curiosity piqued throughout.

The Space in Between | Short Film Nominee

The story of the film is of a protagonist who finds himself torn between what he wants to do and what is expected of him. As he begins his day to take care of a task for which timely and immediate attention is crucial, he is roped in for help first by a stranger and then by an acquaintance. While he may intend to help them, his responsibilities require him to be elsewhere. He attempts to navigate his way around the various events of his day, and still finds himself unsatisfied with what he has achieved by the end of it all. The film exhibits a certain maturity of thought in terms of the choice of its topic and treatment. There is also a particular vulnerability about Anupam Kant Verma that works well for his character. However, Alpviram could have benefitted from a little more tightness in the narrative and the script.

Alpviram | Short Film Nominee

The film is an earnest glimpse into the struggles of three cinema professionals who are awaiting some form of return on their labors. By introducing us to Faizan, Varun, and Raju, the story constructs this reality for us in a sincere, authentic manner. 

The struggles of the characters further reveal the exploitation that is inherent in an industry modeled on taking advantage of people’s dreams and creative pursuits. The film’s visual development wavers a little sometimes, but the performances and the dedication of the cast and crew help it overcome this. 

A life of debt and disturbing financial and emotional uncertainty is invoked in the process. However, despite all the hardship and disillusionment, the message that remains central to the narrative, plot, and thus, the writing of the end result, is one of perseverance and hope. Even in the face of having hit rock bottom, the mustering of strength and finding that the only way is up become the firm string that ties the film together.

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