Bhaag Chand is a fortune teller in Delhi, where he struggles to make ends meet. He is unable to send money home to his family, sneakily hides from his landlord who would ask for the long overdue rent, and as a result, finds himself consumed by despondency and desperation. His one true friend and supporter through all the hardship is Jaggi, a man who sells lottery tickets right next to Bhaag Chand’s spot in the park. 

One day, when Bhaag Chand manages to convert a chance encounter with strangers into a lucrative opportunity, things truly begin to look up for him. With a little cunning and presence of mind, he turns his fortune around, finally paying the rent on time and all his other dues. However, success in one’s endeavors can often prove to be a slippery slope, and before you can even realise, you have reached the point of no return in your hubris. This becomes the underlying message of the film. 

The writing, alongside the portrayal and performance of its protagonist, becomes a notable strength of the end result, even if a slight laxness appears within the sound department. As for Bhaag Chand, a development awaits that would take him right into the heart of an unexpected series of events, shocking the audience as well in the process.

Aaj Ka Raashifal | Spotlight

It's hard to condense everything that can be said about this short film within a few lines. Either way, here's an attempt. First the highs - the film is well intentioned, has decent acting and writing, and attempts a conversation on several aspects of mental health - from bullying to suicide. On paper, these are all the ingredients that are required for a good film, yet, it falls short in its execution and ends with a sense of predictability. Though the visuals and framing deserve full points for the effort and experimentation, they still fail to secure sophistication and seamlessness.

Tell Me | Short Film of the Day

The film opens on a promising note, one that immediately sets an intriguing premise in place. A worried woman is trailing a car, soon followed by a phone call she makes to an undisclosed recipient. Once the story has the viewer's attention, it allows itself to follow a non-linear trajectory, taking the viewer a little back in time to give them a glimpse of an average household of a married couple and their young son. The strongest aspect of the film is its storytelling which takes its time revealing its core intentions to the audience. By invoking the several complexities of marriage, it further offers a significant comment about sexuality and desire between two people and how it often comes to be forced into strict categories and boxes of the normative. Further, the film is well-intentioned and puts forth a strong attempt to talk about a relevant concern. While at first glance it is about fidelity and relationships, there is a deeper, much-needed comment waiting beyond the initial impression made by the narrative. The ending, however, while sufficient for some viewers, might exhibit a want of a more definite closure for others.

RGB | Short Film of the Day

‘Chaukhat’ is an efficiently handled engagement with a single afternoon in the life of its protagonist. The moment and its analysis is sufficient to not only give the viewer a glimpse into her life, but to also raise relevant points about the location of women within marriage as well as the domestic, familial space. 

After a busy morning, Seema is on her way to work for a crucial meeting. However, right ahead of this, her husband, Naveen informs her that his parents are coming over for lunch, ensuring that Seema has to drop everything and head back home to get the household in order for the visit. 

Even though we see an endearing equation shared within Naveen and Seema's marriage, the parents, especially the father, is expected to be far from that in his approach to the couple. The many complexities of the situation are presented to the viewer in a sincere, authentic manner, capturing the anxiety plaguing the circumstance. It is in the exploration of these nuances that the film comes into its own, eventually offering a balanced, wholesome story to the viewer.

Chaukhat | Short Film Nominee

When a parent steps out to take responsibility of their family’s livelihood, there indeed are a lot of things they sacrifice. The short film delineates the same by showing two contrasting images parallely. A little boy comes back home to an empty house. As he unlocks it and serves himself his lunch, the second image is of three boys ordering themselves takeaway. This is followed by several images of different people receiving home deliveries. The narrative attempts to pique the viewer’s interest regarding the link between the two storylines - one of the child and the other of the people receiving food at home, and in the process conveys appreciation of a parent’s labour to take care of their family.

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