The film introduces us to a household of men, two sons, and their elderly father. As the story develops, we discover that perhaps a woman who had tied them all together left too soon, and now the fault lines have appeared within these relationships. 

There are disagreements, the frustration and worry of two sons, Jay and Aman, whose father refuses to cooperate with his medication or any of the care that his sons try to provide for him. There are backhanded comments about a household, that of Jay, that did not last. All of this develops with the constant presence of Tom and Jerry in the background due to the youngest of them all, little Kunal. 

A brief glimpse into Kunal’s relationship with his grandfather presents an unexpected moment of quiet and peace in all of these fraught equations. The resultant narrative becomes one defined by expert storytelling and narratorial construction. There is further an earnest exploration of loss, grief, and how they become nestled within the complexities and nuances of a familial unit.

Nirvaan  | Short Film of the Month

‘Tholumadan’ are monsters that take human form and kill anyone who recognises their true identity. The film, set in the early 1960s, introduces the viewer to this truth of its realm right at the start, immediately establishing the tone of what is to come. We explore this world through the eyes of Appu, a little boy who impatiently awaits the return of his father from the Indo-China War. 

In the face of news of all kinds of tragedies, and against all hope, Appu’s father returns, but the war has left him completely changed. Through engagement with the trauma that he still carries in his heart, taking the form of all kinds of inexplainable situations for the little boy in Appu, we are presented a world of horrifying realizations - a different kind of horror for adults, one of wars and PTSD, and of completely different kinds for a child, of monsters that only masquerade as humans, but perform strange acts in the darkness of the night. The film explores all of this with skill and very controlled dialogue, the gaps filled with a thoughtful and expert background score. The action unfolding on screen also keeps the viewer engaged, finally presenting a story that employs trauma as horror.

Tholumadan | Short Film of the Month

Two men, employees of the local hospital, have arrived in a new town for work with their respective day and night shifts. Their living quarters have already been allotted, and they have little say in the matter, even when the strangest occurrences begin. 

The house is dusty with bad wiring and flickering lights. For one of them, who is more inclined towards astrology and a belief in the supernatural, the house seems like the perfect setting for a haunting. Additionally, the quarter has a dark history and a brutal past that includes a woman and her baby. It is in this manner that the decrepit house with its old, forgotten objects, attains a life of its own when nights become plagued with singing in a woman’s voice. 

The background score, screenplay and visual grammar construct an eerie world with seamlessness and skill. At the same time, the writing explores the many forms fear can take, and what it eventually comes to mean for both of our characters. All of these components ensure that the story is realized with impact, and that the end result conveys the film’s core message expertly, and with clarity.

Pallavi Ammal  | Short Film of the Month

The film presents a story of harassment and stalking, but does so with uniqueness in storytelling. The freshness in its approach ensures that the viewer is glued to the narrative right till the very end, as the protagonist, Megh, takes them deeper and deeper into his world. 

Megh is a writer who, one night, stumbles upon a strange man with a strange query. The film moves back and forth in time as Megh recounts his ordeal to three other characters, each with their own approach to the encounters he describes. 

The film’s biggest strength is what it achieves at the level of thought. It presents a fluidity of roles, and that they can be quite different for the same person depending on the context they are placed in. The story further presents the internal journey that the protagonist goes on as a result of this harrowing experience, and what all of it entails for his identity as a writer. 

The title is explored and engaged with, alongside the life of a city which can sometimes be as forgiving as Mumbai. There is an interaction with the ideas of justice as well. Though there is a slight lack of seamlessness when it comes to the film’s sound department, it is easy to overlook it in the face of the performances, writing, and narratorial progression that the film offers. The ideas thus presented are seeds of thoughts that should definitely be allowed to grow in more projects.

Out of Context | Short Film of the Month

Lokesh and Verma sit inside a car, discussing an imminent meeting and everything that it could entail for the younger Verma. Drawing from his many years of experience, Lokesh shares wisdom on not losing your nerve during a crucial time and, in the process, forever staving off regret, which can sometimes be a crumbling burden. 

A bouquet of flowers rests on the dashboard, suggesting the intimate and romantic nature of the encounter that is about to take place. The entirety of the conversation unfolds from the fixed frame perspective of a single-take, employed seamlessly to further give us a glimpse into the action that is about to follow as well as one that goes beyond the dialog and the screenplay. 

The film’s execution, storytelling, and the chemistry of its actors all portray its intentions with skill and ease. The end result in its brevity is not only entertaining and involving but also presents a narrative that is constructed with thought and attention.

LO-VE | Short Film of the Month

Bablu lost his parents during the migrant crisis that took place when millions of workers tried to return to their homes and native villages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the film premises itself on a reality as dark as this, the story it seemingly offers is one of hope, dreams, and in the process, upliftment. Using this as a starting point, however, the film eventually moves in decisively unexpected directions. 

The inevitable and consequent contrast proves impactful in driving the narrative’s message home. The screenplay and its many characters are constructed thoughtfully to ensure that even though at first glance the reality might require a slight suspension of disbelief, for instance, a group of kids playing football minus any adult supervision, the eventual conclusion of the film, reinstates all logic and rationale in the plot progression. 

Bablu works at his uncle's dhaba but harbors an innocent dream amidst it all - the dream of playing football like all the other more fortunate kids around him. As the two realities overlap, the film presents a story that is sure to stay with the viewer long after they are done watching the film. Though not devoid of limitations that might sometimes afflict a project spearheaded by young actors, the storytelling, visual structure, and world-building exhibit skill and finesse.

Kaash (If Only) | Short Film of the Month

The film presents a heartwarming story of hope, and an iron resolve that overcomes all odds. A child and his older sister, Rachna try to make it in the world on their own. She works at a small shop but is forever preoccupied with her brother not going to school and taking care of the duties expected of him. The younger brother, on the other hand, finding himself too oppressed by the demands of a school that seems to serve him very little, embarks on a journey of his own. 
Nestled at the heart of the story is the idea of following your dreams, and how this pursuit has the potential of becoming the fire that triumphs over all obstacles. The chemistry and performances of the actors are effortless and allow the film to convey all of these intentions and ideas with ease. 

The two children are notable in the energy and the sibling equation they bring to life. The camerawork shows expertise, even if a little loosening of control appears in the form of lighting towards the end. The final result, however, remains straightforward and successfully shares a story of sibling love, the importance of dreams, and the hope to fulfill them.

Good Morning | Short Film of the Month

The film opens with a moment of intimacy and affection, immediately starting a narratorial movement that will come full circle at the conclusion. The distance covered in between, however, paints an entire spectrum of stressors of urban lifestyles in big cities, especially if it involves a move from a smaller one. 


The narrative further ropes in conflict but also the soft and inevitable intimacy that is capable of overcoming it all, no matter how big the obstacle. Rohit and Shruti might not see eye to eye on several things, sometimes even on very core, relationship-defining issues, but their shared love remains an indomitable force. The film also invokes performances and a shared chemistry that is easy and fully supportive of the swiftly developing screenplay and storyline. 'Pillow Talk' efficiently establishes the premise for more such projects, perhaps even longer ones, that should definitely be explored in the future.

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