Ever think we need well-made Hindi films with great story-lines and less of the frivolous dramebaazi and naach-gaana? And yes, wish they were shorter? Well, your prayers have been answered. Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films gives a platform for aspiring film-makers to make and showcase their short films (generally 20 minutes or less), and also have them be featured in film festivals like the Mumbai MAMI.
I’m not sure why whisky-makers would get into the film-space, but am very glad nonetheless. Can other corporations take a hint from these guys, please? These films are superb in quality and easy to access. I know because I’ve been sick recently and spent my time at home very wisely 🙂 watching a ton of these. Here are three of my favorites:
1. Chutney:
This stars Tisca Chopra, Adil Hussain (also seen in English-Vinglish) and Rasika Duggal. Chopra is a fine, fine actress and she has also produced and co-written Chutney. Her character here is a de-glammed, UP-ite housewife Anita who knows more than she lets on.
2. That Day After Everyday:
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, this short featuring Radhika Aapte (also seen in “Shor In The City”), Geetanjali Thapa, Sandhya Mridul and Arannya Kaur is about street sexual molestation, or how we term it prettily “eve-teasing”. It is an uncomfortable film to watch, but brings home the daily, ever-present persistent onslaught of “eve-teasing” and the daily, ever-present persistent onslaught of the social message that women somehow ask for it by not being careful or subservient or simply by walking on a public street.
3. Juice
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Juice stars Shefali Chaya (remember her in “Dil Dhadakne Do” or “Monsoon Wedding”?) as a middle-class housewife cooking in a hot kitchen with other housewives while their husbands eat and drink in the living room, and exhort the women to get the noisy children out of the way, so they can dawdle in peace. Everyday “traditionalized” misogyny, if you please.
As I said there are a ton of these featured under the “Royal Stag” banner, and many more featured under “Pocket Films”, “Shining Films” etc. (Youtube helpfully suggested these), so I ended up watching quite a few.
Here are a few other shorts that were pretty good:
– Churi (stars Tisca Chopra, Anurag Kashyap)
– MAD (Mother and Daughter)
– Ahalya (stars Radhika Apte)
– Anukul (stars Saurabh Shukla)
– The Thought of You (stars Kalki Koechlin, Gulshan Devaiah)
– Nayantara’s Necklace (stars Konkona Sen Sharma)
– White Shirt (stars Kunal Kapoor)
– Ouch (stars Manoj Bajpai – yes, he of “Gangs of Wasseypur” fame)
