Our obsession as a nation with civil services and bureaucracy often leads young people to invest long, toilsome years of their life into preparing for the UPSC exam. Though the aspirants might start on a wave of hope, focus and discipline, they are given little preparation or warning for what is to truly come. For instance, what happens just in case all their hard work is still not enough? Or what more is needed of them beyond simply long hours of study? These are some of the many questions that the latest offering by TVF, Aspirants, raises, while also attempting an answer.

TVF's Aspirants | The Viral Fever | UPSC | Web Series

TVF's Aspirants

When talking about college life, the norm is to adopt a lighthearted tone, with a garnish of drama every now and then. Consequently, a show like Operation MBBS which shatters this mould, promises to infuse a fresh breath of air in the Indian web series space. With a potentially poignant portrayal of the struggles of the students of a medical college, it becomes an engagement with peer pressure, past traumas, familial expectations and the constant struggle to perform irrespective of them all. The show seems to employ drama in an artful way, perhaps offering a little bit of something for viewers with varied expectations.

Dice Media | Operation MBBS | Web Series

Operation MBBS | Dice Media | Web Series

There is something to be said, and mostly good things, about films which open on a note that is deliberately opposite of the direction they are headed in. The film is a paradigmatic example of the same. Our first introduction to the chirpy, cheery protagonist Adarsh is primarily through a phone call with his mother, who matches the same cheeriness. He is not the best at sports or academics, but that is a truth the mother is kept safe from. Instead, Adarsh paints for her a picture of popularity among his peers, and regales her with tales of his athletic success. 

 Inane white lies at first glance, simply serving to make the viewer smile, sometimes with and sometimes at the protagonist, these stories come to have a disconcerting echo on the rest of the narrative. As it progresses, and the rigmarole of lies gets more complex, an equally unsettling reality is unfolding at the mother’s end as well. 

 With only suggestions of domestic strife, and a longer glimpse into the unravelling of Adarsh’s tales, the film weaves its plot together. The storytelling is intelligent and heartfelt, the performances on point and the writing notably skilled. The final result of ‘Abey Chhod Na Yaar’ constructs for us a world of denial, and perhaps deliberate, perhaps involuntary, flights of fancy away from a reality that might sometimes be a little too hard and rough for the characters to accept as their truth.

Abey Chhod Na Yaar | Short Film of the Month

Right from the beginning, the narrative comes across as being deeply unsettling, without giving any explicit reason for it, thereby making it all the more involving. It progresses to eventually reveal a harsh reality of verbal abuse that a boy is subjected to by presumably his father. By simply portraying this situation, the film draws to attention the issue of mental health among Indian students. Further, the lockdown that followed the coronavirus pandemic, exacerbated these pressures and stressors even more, suggests the plot. At the heart of the film is a reminder of the absolute importance of communication between parents, guardians and society on the whole, and how students might find themselves turning to the cruel voices inside if not allowed this channel. It is the expression of this concern that becomes the most notable aspect of the film.

Talk | Short Film of the Day

Krish is preparing for the medical entrance exam that is due in thirty-six days. Anyone who has been an
aspirant would know the strenuous preparation that such an endeavour demands. Krish studies for more than eighteen
hours a day, yet finds it difficult to pass his mock tests. 
The film depicts his isolation which is in part, self- imposed, but in part also mandated by the extensive
syllabus he has to cover. Cutting himself of all ties, familial and social, the protagonist has become like a
machine that is only programmed to study. 
One night, a friend who has decided to move out of his house after a fight with his parents, knocks
on Krish’s door. This friend, who is reckless and carefree, forcefully takes Krish to a party. Is this friend
the devil in disguise or a saviour who has come to rescue Krish from his misery? 
The film not only makes an important intervention on the pressures that students put on themselves
to succeed in the only (conventional) way that they are taught is available to them, but also stresses the pleasures
of life, that are as much a part of a student’s well-being, and must be enjoyed rightfully.

That Night | Short Film of the Day

‘Nutmeg’ is a riot of colors, and a deliberate and entertaining disarray. A group of boys move about the limited physical space of this bottle episode-esque set-up. A boy is very disappointed at not making it to the football team. The spectators to his sorrow include lackeys, stoners, uninterested lurkers, and of course, the viewer. The narrative does a commendable job of maintaining consistency of approach, and roping in a sense of absurdism, while exhibiting deep potential in storytelling. It further evidences innovative use of surroundings and aesthetics to share its intentions with you, leaving one with the promise of more storytelling on similar lines.

Nutmeg | Short Film Nominee

At the film's core is a simple premise - the ambition and dreams of glory of a young filmmaker which is tied with extremist elements within the story. However, the manner which is adopted to portray the same is far from simple - it shows the desire to innovate, to experiment, and not be hesitant of stepping out of one's comfort zone.

 In the process, a meta-narrative of sorts is produced which offers political commentary, a plot which is very self-aware and therefore sometimes invokes humor at its own expense and very deliberately so, mixes elements of surrealism with humor and violence, and ties it all together as the completed product of the film. 

 The non-linear narrative takes us into Alka's world and her very devoted attempts to tell a "politically visceral" story. With a hat-tip to Roland Barthes in its title, the film brings all of this, and some more, to life, ensuring that its storytelling and the execution of the plot remain fresh in tonality while, at the same time, engaging and entertaining the viewer throughout.

Ek Film Director Ki Maut | Short Film Nominee

In its short length of under two minutes, the film has an important message to convey and draw the viewer's attention to a relevant aspect of familial dynamics. The story is of a proud mother, introducing an unnamed and unknown visitor to the many achievements of her talented daughter. However, is the reality truly as inspiring as she portrays it to be?

Showcase | Lockdown Film Challenge

The pangs of young love are not only deep and all-consuming, but also universal. It is precisely this emotion and sentiment which allows the film a relatability for the viewer as it introduces them to the tribulations of two teenaged lovers. Students of a boarding school, it is now time for them to part ways and say their goodbyes as they graduate from the institution. The film invokes a sweet, endearing story by weaving together the painful, disappointing present with the wonderful memories of the past. It further allows an organic pace to the climax, to let the pain and fear of separation become a character in itself. However, just when all might seem lost for the young lovers, can a reversal of fate wriggle its way into their story?

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