The short film is a uniquely hilarious glimpse into a brief encounter of two assassins with one of their victims. The setting is of a dim-lit luxurious room where a man is about to meet his end. However, instead of the usual violence and grimness that could be expected from such a setting, the viewer is surprised with humour invoked at the expense of the unsuspecting man who will soon be killed, but with utmost politeness and courtesy. The film exhibits efficient use of limited space as almost the entirety of the plot unfolds in a single corner of the same room. It further goes ahead to prove how a good story, when coupled with strong performances, indeed makes for an unforgettable product.

Client Oriented Assassins | Short Film of the Day

The plunge into the world of ‘Kaandpur’ is sudden and invigorating. Vinod has found himself in a real fix, and now he rushes to move a huge mass from its position deep in the ground, to another location. Helped by Rafiq and Guddu, the protagonist executes the task in absolute darkness, after having gone through a harrowing thrashing himself at the hands of the local goons. 

After the narrative has deliberately painted a different picture, when the revelation about the true nature of this act arrives, it proves to be shocking as much as it is involving. This, in turn, enables the film to present an important comment about social realities, and the extremes they can push people to. 

Locating itself in Kanpur, India, the title plays not only on the city’s name, but also on kaand, a slang that loosely translates to scandal or an act gone terribly wrong. The world of the film, though not without a few rough edges in its narratorial progression, is handled with care and sincerity, and presents a voice that is original, authentic and undiminished.

Kaandpur | Short Film of the Day

The short film allows itself little space to truly stretch its limbs, yet manages to overcome every self-imposed limitation and challenge successfully. A single-shot film with a fixed frame, it is simply a conversation between a mobster and his seemingly new recruit. The physical space is utilised to the last detail as is the chemistry between the two characters. The way their energies are conjured to complement each other is truly notable - an indifferent rookie, unaware of the consequences of his actions paired with a high-strung, experienced gangster who is completely aware of how truly things can go wrong for them. As the two weigh out their options, and the mess gets messier, the film does a distinguished job of keeping the viewer involved. The simple storytelling style further enhances the experience, allowing the narrative balance and skill without any overt, explicit plot or technical devices. While the subject it deals with can potentially be violent and gory, it manages to undercut it with its humour and comedic timing. The energy levels continue to rise, even the indifference of the younger thug evaporating to give way to a slowly-descending panic, reach the crescendo, finally followed by a conclusion the viewer definitely did not see coming.

Dead Ringer | Short Film of the Day

The night is far from young when a woman, complete with fishnets and asymmetrical jewelry, makes her way into a record store. The decade is the 90s, the hour late, and the store quiet, save for the absolute chaos that is about to go down in the wake of what could have been a mundane exchange. 

We meet only three characters, Dean, and a girl and a boy in this store. Brimming with nostalgic relics of an age gone by, deliberately conjured with strong control to locate the viewer within the same temporal space as the characters, the narrative handles the many complexities adroitly. 

It is precisely this control which ensures that the plot remains marked by crispness, not wasting its breath on hackneyed sentimentalism, and ensuring all of its punches land. Amidst it all, however, a series of very violent events, albeit regularly punctuated by humor, await the characters. Tying it all together with the right sprinkle of punk and angst that defined the age, the short film presents to you its own little world.

Traders | Short Film of the Day

The film opens on a note that is fraught with tension - a man is sitting by himself at a restaurant, impatiently waiting for someone. The first impression is of darkness and shadows, a palette of deep colors that is intended to conceal the secrets that simmer underneath the surface. The entry of the second character deliberately makes the viewer locate the film as a crime fiction - one marked by a violent undertaking that has just seen its completion. After the premise has been set, the unexpected appearance of humour subverts the intensity located within the narrative so far, and allows it to now take another form the viewer did not see coming or prepare themselves for. What begins as a parody of crime fiction soon develops a whole new characteristic it had been preparing itself for all along. This, in turn, enables the film to not only succeed, owing to convincing performances, effortless chemistry of its two actors and crisp writing, but to also offer an interesting treatment and understanding of the word 'crazy', giving it a lighthearted (but well-meaning) and unpredictable twist.

Crazy | Short Film of the Day

A disoriented sex-worker arrives at the doorstep of a potentially dangerous client. As the details become more and more lucid in her head, and memory is entwined with remembrance, a fragmented reality of sorts begins to come into existence. However, the viewer is never left in silence for the voice of the protagonist remains our constant companion. Unsure of her surroundings, she remains an unreliable source of information throughout, but also the only one available to the viewer. 

The narrative is weaved with an approach that keeps the audience guessing about whether or not to believe the sole voice. At the same time, however, the development of the visual narrative leaves no two ways about the chain of events. The plot acquires a fairly well-defined form when the two overlap, eventually leaving us with a story about friendships, protectiveness and looking out for one another in a space located at the margins of society. 

There is almost a heady quality to the manner in which all of these thematic concerns, and their linked metaphors, are dealt with in this story which traces its steps back to an act of violence, while, at the same time, positioning itself as the origin story of a vigilante.

Pimp Girl | Short Film of the Day

The film puts forth a character's internal conversation with the several intricacies of his own mind as the predominant part of its body. The viewer is given a glimpse into a monologue where a fractured consciousness is allowed an interaction with the ideas of life and death, guilt and survival. This is achieved visually by juxtaposing light against shadows. The opening scene of the film is marked by blaring police sirens and lights, mapped against the voice of a man that puts the premise of the film in place. A police officer has gone missing after being close to cracking a homicidal case. It is at this juncture that the narrative further brings in ideas of sanity and insanity and conjures a probable progression of events regarding the fate of the officer. The major chunk of the drama unfolds in a warehouse of sorts and is constituted by a single character's struggle to come to terms with his thoughts and lived reality. The editing of the visuals by Kenny Unangst come to play a significant role in invoking an atmosphere of thrill, unease and disconcertment, all at the same time, as the viewer is involved deeper and deeper into the character's experiences. A student-made film of limited resources, Last Words exhibits unmissable potential of director Ace Patel to engage with complex stories, along with of the rest of the crew, all showcasing promising talent of a notable degree.

Last Words | Short Film of the Day

Two men by a stream, one the captive of the other, while the other in possession of a gun - this is our first introduction to the world of ‘The Crook and the Creek’. The title has already begun to establish the world further for us, soon making it amply clear who of the two is who. 

As we go deeper into this encounter, an engrossing conversation develops, one that reveals crucial details that would eventually come to dominate the fates of the two characters before us. In the process, there is also the attempt to explore the idea of two vastly differing paths leading to the same goal. The life and experiences of the Daly boys, bank robbers and brothers, Thomas and Rauri, are thus conjured for us. 

Additionally, ideas of betrayal, self-preservation, and above all, survival enter the narrative. While the viewer might be preoccupied with them, another development awaits them. It is in the achievement of this final moment that the true completion of the film and its plot lie.

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