SHORT FILMS: BIG IMPACT

The year 1983 is marked by India’s victory in cricket World cup for the first time; an year which also launched the 2-minute Maggi instant noodles in India. The nation not only savored it but also liberated the women of our country from breaking their backs in the kitchen. Its huge success is recorded within the first 25 years, as it captured 90% of the instant noodles market. On the same note, the invention of food processor by Sontheimer is hailed as a miracle. His heartfelt attempts to reduce the man-hours in chopping, dicing and blending have gathered thousands of blessings. Statistically and popularity of such inventions as a whole, has proved that quick brainy things when created smartly surely produces phenomenal results. However my intention of penning this opinion article is not for branding or underpinning the products discussed.  I am trying to emphasize on the impact of the major transformations and revolutionary developments that has provided the society with creative freedom.  Another important switch that has created a huge impact on the society is the popularity of short films that took over lengthy forms of entertainment.

Not long ago, I was in a routine of browsing YouTube videos for exploring my spiritual journey. This expedition led me to the Trending section of the app which exhibits various other interesting videos. One such video that caught my attention was entitled ‘Chutney’, a short film featuring Tisca Chopra as a grostrech and submissive looking housewife, Anita, as a protagonist. The story opens in a personal party where a young married girl is found making satirical remarks on Anita’s multidimensional persona. However buck toothed Anita is not aware of her husband’s (Star Adil Hussain: do you remember Sridevi’s husband in English Winglish) relationship with the young woman and takes her remarks cordially.

Anita invites the young woman to her home and divulges the secrets of her culinary skills which is the must see factor of the film. Tisca Chopra has carried off the film effortlessly on her shoulders through her enigmatic narrative technique. Jyoti Kapur Das has tightened the grip of the tale by giving it a form of storytelling. Through the character of Anita the script of 16 minutes 51 seconds has communicated how difficult it is to unveil the most shrouded structure of human consciousness. The invitee is shattered at the end and takes home a lesson “A black plum is as sweet as a white’.  You can’t afford to miss the Climax!

Next comes a short film “I am pregnant” by Debabrat Samal astonishingly portraying the fears and inhibitions of a young woman who desperately wants to get pregnant. Not a new idea though, the societal pressure on a woman who is unable to conceive is shown through a nightmare that makes the woman pregnant overnight. The film shows the not much changed image of the Indian Society of 2018. It showcases the in-laws pressure that dwells in the unconscious mind of the woman that gives birth to her mental disorder. Eventually her assertiveness regarding her motherhood is disowned by her and at the end she dreadfully exclaims, “I don’t want to be pregnant”. The film on one side does display the aspects of equality or feminism, and at the same time makes a universal call to consider women as humans.

 The next one in the queue is a Marathi short film “Aai shapat” that centers around a highly sensitive boy who is perturbed the whole day because his cousin swears a lie on his mother. This bothers the boy, as he believes that lying is a bad omen and wonders what will happen to his aunt after his cousin’s life threatening sin.One cannot deny that the idea of swearing on one’s name was of considerable vitality a decade ago but, now it is losing its integrity and is becoming a slang language. The climax of the story shows how the young boy is convinced that this practice does not work and is merely a myth. The last part estimates that he might also plunge into employing the same attempt in order to get his work done.  Simple and innocent tales that give rise to questions like ‘Why is it always ‘aai shapat ‘ and not ‘baba shapat? , Does it again signify that women were and are still the most vulnerable beings on this earth? 

Just like the above short films, you may come across thousands and thousands of such short films covering a wide range of subjects that may give you  food for thought. My endeavor is to create keenness among the readers to explore that side of the web too! 

Happy Watching!