Our country has a timeless obsession with the complexion of one’s skin. It is, perhaps, the most unfounded preferences that we, as a nation, have. And, while that seems to be changing with the coming generations, we still have a ways to go when it comes to shedding this ludicrous belief that a dusky or a darker complexion is not beautiful. ‘Dark Skin’, a short film directed by Shivankar Arora and written by Shipra Arora, explores the reality of the country we live in, where a tan might be construed as the highest misfortune that can befall a person.

‘Dark Skin’ follows Ankita, played by Ankita Mittal, a woman who has been at the end of multiple rejections for marriage proposals because she is considered to have a darker complexion than what the groom’s family would want. Yes, we are wading into that regressive territory here. Dejected and frustrated with the opinions of others and the constant advice on how to ‘fix’ her complexion, Ankita, despite caring deeply about her, has a somewhat strained relationship with her mother, played by Neelu Kohli. Now, faced with another marriage proposal, Ankita finds herself agreeing to meet the prospective groom, if only to appease her mother. Following the days leading up to the meeting, we bear witness to the issues and the mental strain that societal perceptions have put on Ankita. The only question we have left is whether this time will be any different from the previous times.

‘Dark Skin’ means to question the prevailing perception around skin complexion. And, while setting it against the contextual backdrop of a marriage proposal may seem misguided, it is important to remember that most of India lives under regressive societal norms. Women are told constantly to ‘adjust’ and ‘just bear it’ with patience, as if those were two of the easiest things to do in the whole wide world. It is, perhaps, with this idea, of showcasing not only the regressive mentality surrounding skin complexion but also the prevalent normative societal traditions, that the Arora siblings have picked the backdrop that they have.

Ankita Mittal does a marvellous job, portraying a character that wishes, with every fibre of her being, to break away from the constant haranguing and live her own life. You sense the conflict between what she wants to do and what her natural affections for her family force her to do. She stands convincingly and truly beautifully in each scene. A major surprise, however, is Neelu Kohli as Ankita’s mother. She plays the part so convincingly well, reminding you of the manner in which parents think they know what is best for their child. She is utterly convincing in her role, with each line she delivers being a reminder to the somewhat misplaced, but well-meaning, love that Indian parents have for their children.

Watch ‘Dark Skin’. It will make you realise you are only ever beautiful if you are loved.

All of us have endured young children selling things, while we wait at the traffic signal. And we have all been in the morally awkward position of shooing away these kids away. We showcase our distaste for the class system of India, comment on the rise of poverty, express our empathy towards child labour. Yet, it’s all talk and no work. Suresh Eriyat’s film, Tokri, shows us the other side of the story.

The Beguiling Plot

Narrated from the perspective of a poor family, we see a young school-going girl and two working parents living on the Mumbai footpath. They don’t seem to have a lot of money, yet they possess the wealth of love. From the very beginning, the film Tokri draws attention to the loving relationship between the father and daughter. Small endearing moments of her father teasing her, highlight the tenderness of their relationship.

The film progresses illustrating the curiousness of the young child when she notices her father stealthily opens up an old trunk. She hears him fondly caressing certain items. The next morning, when her parents leave for work, she lets curiosity get the best of her. She finds and opens the old trunk to find a precious item (watch the film to find what it was!) But as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat – and a clumsy accident led to a series of unfortunate events.  

The Technical Genius

The following tale continues with guilt, family values, agony and a lot of love. Tokri will truly touch your emotional core. It will make you smile, might make you cry, but will definitely touch your heart. Through all the layers of the story itself, we have to talk about the technical brilliance of this creation.

Shot in Claymation, this 14-minute-long film took over 8 years to make! Claymation is a form of stop-motion animation where every object – character or prop – is constructed from malleable substance like plasticine clay. Like in stop-motion, every frame is singularly recorded and then pieced together in quick succession for the illusion of motion.

Apart from that one has to appreciate the painstaking effort that was put into the detailing of the film. Whether it be the expressions of the characters, the lighting and ambience, the tiny details of streetscape – it is all simply immaculate! There will be moments in the film when you will forget that these are all clay figures made by someone and not real people. Alongside this incredible work, you cannot forget the significance of sound design in Tokri. From small sounds of wind to loud horns and ticking of clocks, the attention to detail is nothing less than perfectionism.

The 30 awards and wins and over 50 nominations attest to the brilliance of the film.

Before the world was hit with a pandemic – so contagious that people lost the pleasure of human presence – we took all the little joys of life for granted. Being in a room with people and experiencing the presence of another human had no significance in our lives. Perhaps it was because we always had other things to whine about. Yet, connections and relationships are the core of our existence. At last, we humans are social creatures. Varsha Vasudev’s film, Ente Narayanikku, reminds us of all the things we take for granted. It reminds us to express gratitude for what we have, for we never know what the future holds.

Set in 2020, the film revolves around the covid-pandemic. It reminds the audience how real the pandemic is and its impact on the lives of people. As the wave of covid hit, interacting with humans became illegal. Social distancing became a necessity. And people started realizing the significance of human presence.

Ente Narayanikku begins with an introduction to the protagonist, Narayani who has been quarantined. For the next fourteen days, she is confined to her apartment. Soon after, we find out about a young man living in the adjacent apartment.

As the film progresses, we follow their budding relationship. Aditi Ravi, who plays the role of Narayani, carries the movie forward with her incredible acting. Moreover, Unni Mukundan, playing the character of the young man, remains unseen throughout the film. In fact, the film strongly references an award-winning Malayalam film, Mathilukal (1990). Following a similar trope of developing a connection with another despite not being able to see their face, touch them or feel them.

Click the link below to watch Ente Narayanikku, a film about human connections amidst the pandemic and an unexpected twist in the end!

‘The Ice-Man’, perhaps, evokes a ominous sense of anticipation through its title. However, the actual subject matter of the film is far from anything that projects dread or memories of notorious mob figures. Set against the backdrop of a convenience store in suburban America, ‘The Ice-Man’ is a short film that examines an everyday instance of assumed political correctness. Produced by Dunhill Studios and directed by Heerak Shah, the short film is a hilarious glimpse into the roles we assume while correcting someone else’s supposed patterns of behaviour while blindly ignoring our own. It is as much a social comedy as it is a brief commentary on social perception and assumptions. What is even more impressive is that the film manages to fit all of that into an extremely miniscule duration of approximately two and a half minutes.

‘The Ice-Man’ has Omi Vaidya playing the role of a disgruntled customer, perusing the aisles of a convenience store. When he is approached for help in finding ice by another customer, played by Heather Cole, the day’s problems finally set him off and he vents his frustration towards her. The film, itself, may be short and not an elaborate setup to scrutinize the social dynamics that are present today in a culture of political correctness, however, it leaves you with an imprinted impression, one that pushes you to do the questioning on your own. 

All of this seems like a far fetched derivation from a movie that runs only about 2 minutes. However, there lies the beauty of it. Besides, the obvious surprise of Taizu’s ‘Look’ playing during the credits, ‘The Ice-Man’ is like that little disguised joke you tell someone, one that is built on actual experience and has a host of social implications behind it. It seems like a offhand comment or a verbal jab but, underneath the surface, it hides layers of meaning.

Watch it. It won’t disappoint you. 

At a certain point, while you are watching the animated short film ‘What Is Your Brown Number’, you see a factual statement on screen. The remark revolves around the billion dollar industry of skin whitening products fuelled by our country’s obsession with fairer skin. It makes you think about how something that is truly insignificant, bolstered by generational and cultural embedding, can go on to become a national concern and even keep companies not just afloat but churning billions out in profit every year. ‘What Is Your Brown Number’ is as much an actual conversation as it is a satirical short film, touching on one of the most ingrained cultural norms and beliefs that we carry as a nation and a collective society.

Written and conceptualized by Vinnie Ann Bose as her thesis film, from her time at the National Institute of Design, ‘What Is Your Brown Number’ comes out of the incubation initiative hosted by Indian animation mainstay, Studio Eeksaurus. 

The short film follows the signature animation style that is present in some of the other films by Studio Eeksaurus. A lighter touch, carefully punctuated with vibrant imagery and clean visuals, helps the film tackle a subject that, for the longest time, has been a deeply culturally ingrained issue. There is a sense of levity that Bose and creative director, Suresh Eriyat, inject into the issue. The absurdity of the existence of a scale that measures skin tones and the dependent social hierarchy all draw from real life social perceptions and instances. And while thinking about that may seem depressing, the film aptly maneuvers itself to point to the actual invalidity of these societal judgements. Come to think of it, honestly, how awkward was it to see those advertisements on television where the brands proudly showcased that they included an actual scale, for skin tones, inside the product packaging? 

That’s the tone that the film follows. It points to the absurdity and the invalidity of some of the beliefs and things that we have come to normalize as a society. It’s not just skin tones and the Indian obsession with fair skin, it also serves to provoke you into thinking about the myriad number of things, things that we have come to normalize, that exist within our society. It takes a lighter route, sure, gently prodding you to examine the thought on your own. However, the thought, itself, is a serious one and that, alone, is enough to start a discussion.