‘Ayak’’s world is constructed with a controlled, and steady hand, taking the viewer into the story gradually, but irrevocably. The sustained pace ensures that even though the dialogue in the film is frugal, you are deeply invested in the fate of the protagonist. Manu has arrived at the Forest of Chithari to perform an age-old ritual that takes place every twenty years. 

The forest is not only the abode of innumerable secrets and unsaid things, but also of forces far beyond Manu’s comprehension. The story that began in ancient Egypt, is about to come to fruition with his arrival for the ritual. Ayak, or the potion that unites one with the gods, is soon presented to him in the most unlikely circumstances. 

As the events unfold, the film puts forth a narrative that is quiet, but stern. It employs no sudden thrills or jump scares to unsettle the viewer, and still ensures that it remains disconcerting throughout. The visuals of the vast expanses enhance it manifold, as do the smooth edit and the screenplay. The seamless weaving of all of these elements allows 'Ayak' to become a beautiful final result that is not simply defined by mystery or thrill, but also by an element of fantasy and something terrible awaiting right around the corner.

Ayak | Short Film of the Year

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.

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