This short film, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and directed by Nandita Das, works as the perfect prelude to the full-length feature film Manto soon to make an appearance on the silver screen. Nawazuddin is as convincing as Manto in the film as he has been in all of his prior roles. The film is a deep and insightful commentary on society which attempts to hide its vulgarities and inherent contradictions by attacking the artist who simply holds a mirror to it. It's not the art which is ugly, but the reflection of the critic who attacks the former with misguided rage. If nothing at all, In Defence of Freedom, handled extremely elegantly by Das, simply succeeds in compelling the viewer to start a conversation with the self and its location in society.

In Defence Of Freedom | Short Film of the Day

The movie, marked by its single member cast and crew, is a dedicated and sincere attempt to tell its story. A man wakes up from a disturbing nightmare which he chooses to turn around into a writing project. While engaging with his endeavours, there is indeed a darker, more unexpected reality to be discovered by him. Would he be prepared when it finally arrives?

My Dream Story | Lockdown Film Challenge

Operating entirely within the ambit of abstraction, the short film keeps itself confined to the physical space of a room. Blank sheets and pens to write with are in abundance before the protagonist, and yet, he is unable to come up with even a single word. Have all pens dried up? Is there something wrong with the sheets of paper? Or is he simply distracted too easily, much to his own anger and frustration? The narrative, devoid of any dialogue, raises all of these questions. It finally concludes with the thought that perhaps all of the protagonist's energies are invested in replicating that one scribble he had achieved a long time ago. Unable to do so, he is constantly distracted, flustered and left with the inability to create any further. However, this is only one interpretation of the events unfolding before you. The film leaves the door open for more, depending on the viewer's desire and inclination.

Cloacked Pens | Short Film Nominee

A man sits in his room, a lamp serving as the only evident source of light in the darkness of the night. While he scribbles some words on the paper, strange occurrences start to take place. Whatever he writes, comes true in a disturbing fashion, leaving him deeply shocked and bemused. He moves from one instruction to another, and those events continue to jump into reality. He frantically searches for a way out of this most uncanny situation, and just when he, as well as the viewer, think a solution has been achieved, something far disturbing happens.

The End | Short Film Nominee

The film wants to be an engagement with a man's struggle to achieve that perfect ending for his story, even in the face of a fixation with the same that has now acquired staggering proportions in his life. While the pen's nib seems to be sharper than ever, almost like a blade against his skin, the ending still evades him. As his mental health gets grasped tighter and tighter within the clutches of this obsession, we find him isolating himself from not only his day-job, but also his girlfriend. The pressure to find the perfect conclusion continues to mount while the pills that keep the protagonist sane begin to run out. Located before this double-edged sword, as he battles an uncertain fate, how will it all truly conclude for him?

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