Mihir Mahidhar directed film Zero is set in rural India. The movie opens with an air shot of the outskirts of a city. Later, the camera focuses on a small roadside stand. Owned by a young boy, the stall sells tea and some snacks to go with it. The film presents an entirely unique idea of how a little thing can make a significant difference in one’s life.

The Story of Zero

The film revolves around a day in the life of a young boy who sells tea to earn his living. In the first ten minutes, the film makers take their time to engrave an impression of the miseries in the boy’s life in the minds of the viewers. The director deeply depicts the suffering in his life. The boy is shown starting his day at the tea stall and then sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting endlessly for someone to stop by. But alas! Cars and bikes and trucks and rickshaws hustle by but no one halts to buy a cup of tea. The disappointment and distress is evident on the boy’s face.

The twist comes when two drunkards remove the ‘0’ from the milestone to make Nanakheda 1 km away instead of the actual 10 km. And then things change for the young boy. People stop to ask him about Nanakheda and buy tea from him. He makes enough to get him food for that day. He strolls down the road later just to find the change in the milestone and realizes how God makes things work. He considers the milestone to be an incarnation of the supreme energy and lights an incense stick in front of it. 

Synopsis

The movie revolves around the boy’s day and his struggle to earn a few pennies that are enough to buy him food for the day. It shows how this world treats the poor. The scene of someone throwing a burger out of their car window and the boy grabbing it is heart-wrenching. The burger landed on a heap of garbage with insects around it, but the boy with an empty stomach since morning cleans and eats it to keep himself going. The film also establishes a strong belief in the fact that poverty is a legacy. The poor boy does nothing but blames his father for his condition. He is seen throwing dust on his picture with rage in his eyes. Irfan Khan not just plays but feels the character of the boy in its true sense. He is so distressed from the series of events that he even makes an imaginary invisible cup of tea to satisfy himself. 

The End

The cinematography is just perfect. From capturing the mountains from air to capturing the ants climbing a tall tree, the camera does all the magic. Everyone from the actors to the people behind the scene make the fifteen minutes worth it. The dialogues, the story line, the presentation, every aspect of the movie can leave you awestruck. 

Add Zero to your playlist and watch it for a session full of meaning! 

Mother, the one who is bestowed with the toughest task on this planet to ensure the survival of our species. A mother becomes someone’s everything within a matter of seconds. From being a teacher to a friend a mother takes on various roles once motherhood rolls in. It so happens that over the course of life, we often forget the essential role this one person has played that influences our very existence today. Aai (A Mother) is here to remind us just that.

Aai (A Mother): A Glimpse

Directed by Aroop Dwivedi, Aai tells the story of motherhood, a universal journey that is unique for each mother. In a short span of just around 14 mins, the short film explores the different phases of motherhood, from giving birth to raising a child to pushing the child off their nest so that they can build their own, to finally departing with their beloved child, Aai tells the story of generations.

Animated in 2D in the classic old-school sketch fashion, it gives you the feeling of going through somebody’s personal diary with each change in the scene. Highlighting Indian customs and idiosyncrasies the film lives up to the name of showcasing the journey of Aai, not just any mother, but of Aai, an Indian mother. Showing how beautifully the mother sacrifices everything for her child without asking or even hoping for anything in return, this short film is sure to make even the coldest heart shed a few tears of love and admiration.

The rustic and intimate touch that the sketching-styled animation provides only intensifies the viewer’s feelings and emotions. As the audience watches Aai make each sacrifice in the name of love and go on with life without any regrets, it will surely make one understand the depth of unconditional parental love. From ensuring that her kid gets the best of everything at the expense of her own happiness, Aai is a tale of all the mothers and fathers who toil away day and night hoping for their kids to have a better future than anyone else’s. Aai is a tale of love that is as old as time and often goes unnoticed until it’s too late just like time.

Afterword

Aai is a beautiful tale of forgotten unconditional love. In this era of love and romance, we often forget the very people who defined it for us from the beginning and end up neglecting and hurting them in the process while all they do is take up that hurt and continue to love us regardless. It’s a tale that reminds us all again of where our priorities should lie. It’s a tale that reminds us that, all this time the love that we have been searching for has been around us all along. Watch this heartfelt tale here.

Remember the days when promises were legally binding contracts holding everyone around you accountable for each promise? There was no excuse for breaking a promise if you broke it there are consequences that need to be met. The innocent world of a child is filled with hope and love for everyone and everything. A love so pure that it used to refrain us as kids from doing things that might hurt others. A heart that always thought before it acted. Aai Shapat (translation: Mother Promise) tells a similar tale.

Aai Shapat: A Glimpse

Aai Shapat (translation: Mother Promise), two words that are every kid’s sacred promise. The consequence of failing to keep it will directly affect their very first best friend, their mother. As kids, these two words were only uttered when there was no other way to prove our innocence. This promise was the highest form of promise. Gambling with the life of the lady who gave birth to you especially when you know you are lying is the highest form of sin. 

As we grow up we realise that words don’t actually hold much meaning unless and until they are followed up with sincere actions or are backed by sincere thoughts. But for doe-eyed, innocent children who still believe in magic, words are everything. Aai Shapat, a 15 mins short film is a testament to this fact. 

Aai Shapat: A Simple Tale of Childhood to Adulthood

The film starts off in a busy neighbourhood where kids are busy playing a match of cricket. We are soon introduced to two cousins Soham and Ninad. Though both are around the same age, they both are very different from each other in the sense that Ninad has gotten a taste of the real world while Soham is yet to venture out of his childhood innocence. This particular angle is beautifully executed with a very gripping and extraordinarily simple storyline. 

With a simple tale and simple setting, it is surprising how the film leaves such a big impression on the viewers. The film focuses entirely on the doubts and horror of a kid untouched by the bitter truth of adulthood. Because of this, the audience gets a chance to see how subtly the transition from childhood to adulthood takes place. As the adults in the film go about their daily lives oblivious to the doubts clouding the mind of the child, we realise how often have we as adults ignored or brushed off a child’s concerns which further makes their transition to adulthood faster than expected.

Afterword

A sweet tale about a kid having a taste of the real world where words hold no value. This film reminds us how important it is for us to pay heed to every look of concern on our child’s face in order to ensure that their moment of innocence lasts a little bit longer keeping this world happy and genuine for a little more time. Following the tiny face of horror and confusion throughout the entire film, you won’t even notice when time flies by. The open-ended ending is sure to keep you guessing whether the world actually managed to crack the innocent bubble of the child or not, all the while making you more vigilant towards the shift in emotions of the kids around you.

The power to create something out of nothing is the most incredible gift. The ability to see something when nothing is clear or tangible just shows the heightened potential of the human mind that often goes unnoticed. The mind of an artist is an enigma to the rest of us, what goes in and makes them create something so unique is beyond anyone’s imagination. But when that creativity starts slipping from one’s mind to one’s life, the fine line that differentiates reality from fiction gets blurred. Kriti explores just that.

Kriti- A Glimpse

Written, directed, edited and composed by Shirish Kunder, Kriti is a psychological thriller short film that will keep you dazed and confused long after the movie has ended. Starting off with a regular psychiatric counselling session between our protagonist Sapan and his psychiatrist Dr. Kalpana the movie gives off a very normal vibe, though, for a detail-oriented viewer, some details will stand out like tiny thorns on a rose bud stem such as how the psychiatrist and the patient were friends even before their transition into a professional relationship.

Kriti meaning creation is a short film whose plot heavily relies on the deadly combination of word meanings and mental disorder. Having an undiagnosed mental disorder and not seeking help is one thing, imagine having one and seeking help but only from your own head. The film takes the entire narrative of imaginary friends to a whole new level. 

The background score and setting of Kriti act as a guide for viewers by giving them a glimpse of what to expect. The change in the music from a low suspense melody to a 90’s Voila! The trumpet beat gives a classic rhythm to the final twist in the tale. Given that it is composed by Kunder who also wrote the script there is no doubt that he ensured to keep the essence of the script intact on screen.

Kriti- A Call For Mental Health Awareness

Taking an unconventional angle, Kriti puts forward the drastic effects of ignoring one’s mental health state. How an undiagnosed condition can not only disrupt one’s life but put others at risk too, Kriti deviates from the classic tale of mental health disorders wherein the person having it is often portrayed as the victim. It tries to shed light on the lack of mental health awareness that continues to plague society at large and how often mental disorders can overlap with one’s creativity and cause a deadly effect. 

The officer of the law’s behaviour towards the main character, Sapan, just goes on to show how much work still needs to be done in order to make mental health a priority in our country. Creative individuals are often considered eccentric and are left to fend for themselves, Kriti makes you question whether or not it is always wise to do so.

Afterword

Complete with a stellar cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma, Kriti will leave you on the edge of your seat as you try to separate fact from fiction. The true existence of each character in the film remains unknown, leaving a spooky unsettling feeling in the minds of the viewers. Kriti is not for the faint of hearts but is surely a must-watch for anyone hoping to find a different take on the whole mental health awareness movement.

Imagine those days when a small pack of cute erasers used to light up your entire week. The days when all it took was a new drawing book to keep you smiling ear to ear for the entire month. The simple times when simple things used to matter so much. As a kid, a lot of these things brought us joy but rarely do we used to value them for long given how easy it was to obtain them for us. But for those who grew up with nothing a piece of stationary is as valuable as any rare gem. The Paper Boy tells a tale along these lines.

The Paper Boy: A Glimpse

Directed by Aniket Mitra, The Paper Boy tells the tale of little things in life that may appear little to some but hold great value to many. Nestled in the busy street of Old Calcutta where everybody is too busy in their lives to catch a break and make somebody’s day, we are introduced to our doe-eyed boy, who is also our Paper Boy. Being brought into the world with nothing there isn’t much that our Paper Boy hoped for and just went on about his day distributing paper to earn his keep until a small miracle knocked on his door.

Shot entirely in black and white with little to no dialogue, The Paper Boy brings forth the plight and joy of the underprivileged through the pure work of camera and raw acting talent. Following the journey of our Paper Boy, we get to see the pure glee over a pair of old discarded shoes that once Cinderella had over her shiny glass shoes.

The Paper Boy: A True Cinderella’s Tale

As the movie progresses we get to see how every day a tiny miracle unfolds from a pencil to a notebook until it all comes crashing down when reality hits and dreams end. The hope and pain that passes through that tiny face remain etched in your memory long after the credits roll. With sheer talent, Raja has managed to portray the role of the Paper Boy so well that you can’t help but connect with his character on an emotional level. He was not just acting, he was living it.  

This is the tale of a Cinderella who never got to meet her prince after the ball but got to keep those glass shoes to remind her that miracles do exist. Just as the Paper Boy’s shoes remind him that miracles do exist, they just happen one day at a time, they remind us that sometimes it doesn’t take heaven to crack open for a fairy godmother to arrive in order to make a child’s day with basic necessitates, sometimes you can be a fairy in this mundane world by simply practising the gift of sharing.

Afterword

Released in the year 2015, this award-winning short film delivers such raw and strong emotions in 15 minutes that full-length feature films fail to deliver in an hour or more. Bagging the best film award at the Satyajit Ray Memorial Ray Short Film Festival 2016, The Paper Boy proves that sometimes actions and emotions speak way louder than words. Ironically shot in the City of Joy, The Paper Boy reminds us how easily can the line between what could be and what is can be blurred for the greater good. How within grasps the utopia of everyone living a happy life truly is. You can watch it by clicking here!