‘The Family Table’ is a disturbing film to watch, simply because of how unabashedly it holds a mirror up to society. The scene, theatrical at its core and approach, is of a dining table where a group enjoys a lavish meal, while a woman, the mother, serves the food in an anxious frenzy. 

The metaphors that the ensuing drama offers are not only crucial and powerful but also executed with seamlessness and ease. The writing, screenplay, performances, and swift camera movements all aid this portrayal. As the endless appetites of those at the table continue to grow, so does the anxiety and frenzy around it, leading to the most devastating and troubling conclusions. 

By way of its story, the film presents the dysfunctionality of a familial unit that simmers under the surface, threatening to spill over at the slightest provocation. The final result becomes a very comprehensive and cohesive whole, lucid in the communication of its ideas, and competent and sophisticated in the expression of its intentions.

The Family Table  | Short Film of the Month

Chirag lives in a strange world with a stranger profession. His job involves delivering messages to people, on behalf of their family members and loved ones, sometimes in the respective patron’s voice, and sometimes even in person. The film offers a seamlessly remarkable endeavor in presenting this reality to the viewer. 

Amidst it all is Chirag’s relationship with Sneha, on the verge of collapse primarily as a result of his inability, ironically, to communicate or express himself. His dying relationship is simply symptomatic of society at large, one where the absolute breakdown of communication has left an endless vacuum very swiftly being filled by technology. In our own world where using AI tools to structure our messages and emails, sometimes even personal, intimate conversations, is ubiquitous and commonplace, is the film’s reality truly far-fetched? 

Chirag's mental and emotional unraveling is mapped alongside these developments, questions, and their inherent answers. A voice and tonality that is fresh and unique, coupled with strong performances, and a diegetic score together constitute the expert film.

Grey | Short Film of the Month

‘Chimta’ loves to lead your expectations in a specific direction regarding the mood and intentions of the story, only to deliberately foil them. Consequently, it forms a bond with the viewer right at the onset, which ensures that they stay with it and its endearing protagonist, Chimta, till the very end. 

In a pandemic-stricken world, Chimta, a twelve-year-old boy who simply wishes to do his homework, goes on a little adventure seeking virality and perhaps an eventual television appearance with his trusted companion, Aashiq. While maintaining a lighthearted tone, marked by the humor generated at the expense of all the characters that find themselves at the unwitting mercy of two little boys determined to take on the world, the film also presents a subtle, but unmissable suggestion of darkness. 

Alcoholism, abuse, dire financial straits - the narrative invokes them all, and yet, never allows itself to be bogged down by any of them. Even though the writing seems to lose some of its tautness as the plot nears conclusion, the storytelling remains original and notable, becoming a standout characteristic of the film.

Chimta | Spotlight

‘Salwate’ (wrinkles/creases) is an endearing, entertaining film about one morning in the life of the protagonist, Jeetesh. He is a disciplined, cheerful man who shares a loving, playful relationship with his mother. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/ZBdAYxsh.jpg"/> 

On the day the film opens, he is about to head out for an important job interview. However, when he begins to get ready and iron his clothes for the same, he realizes that the iron is broken, and that no ironing shop would be open this early in the day to complete the task. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/poce03Lh.jpg"/> 

As Jeetesh moves from one failed attempt to another, to make it in time for the interview, the narrative comes into its own. The performances and writing, both complement each other, and eventually take the film home in a balanced manner. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/wundpu3h.jpg"/> The viewer cannot help, but be deeply invested in the fate of the protagonist who takes upon all challenges in his life, big or small, with a winning smile.

Salwate | Short Film of the Month

Wearing a tie that tips the hat to some iconic cartoon characters, which also serve as the film's namesake, a man has arrived for what is potentially the most important interview of his life. Under the garb of giving an interview for a job, he plans to pitch his tech start-up to a possible investor. It is precisely this moment which offers the crux of the narrative, and its journey till here is indeed a beautifully involving and engaging one. 

Rajeev, a man of passion and eccentricites, is struggling to get his start-up running on its feet. Despite the financial troubles that engulf his family of a loving, supportive, but worried wife, Keerti, and daughter, Arushi, he is unable to give up hope just yet on his dream project. 

The film brings this reality to life in a deeply sincere manner. The end result is marked by seamless writing and equally crucial and smooth performances that ensure you remain invested in the fate of the protagonist, as well as the narratorial progression, all along.

Looney | Short Film of the Month

The film builds itself around Pawan and Gunja’s love story. The opening scene establishes the intimacy and affection the two share. However, soon a reality unfolds which is in direct contrast to the romance conjured so far. 

Gunja is trapped in a loveless marriage where she has had little to no say in her decisions right from the beginning. Pawan, on the other hand, struggles to create a life where he can attain union with his beloved. The film, thus develops to not only give a glimpse into their love story but also ropes in unexpected and completely shocking moments of thrill, violence, and things going terribly awry. 

The chemistry of the actors, which constitute this fateful love triangle, brings to life skilled performances, that bolster the narrative markedly. The choice of the background score and original soundtrack also evidence investment of thought, and competitiveness, all of which together ensure that the final result is an engaging ride that will keep the viewer involved right till the end.

Jaan-e-Jahaan | Short Film of the Day

The film is a quiet rumination shared between two characters under the night sky. As they traverse the many currents of the flow of time, the past and the future, a heartfelt narrative comes into existence. 

A man and a woman lie on a rooftop reflecting on what it means to have left behind people in the past, the choices and decisions that led them to this precise moment in this particular life that they have built together, and the different directions this current could have potentially taken them in. 
 

The many experiences that shaped them, and how any number of decisions or forces outside their control could have even led them away from each other, become an overarching force in the story. All of these ideas are presented with a stillness that enhances the narrative, alongside the chemistry and performances of its actors. Notwithstanding a few rough edges in terms of the visual construction, the film succeeds in capturing all of this with its writing and screenplay, while throughout maintaining the tonality it conjured at the start.

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