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Short & sweet

The potential of short films — ranging from 5 to 15 minutes — is being recognized on the Net. These films are finding new acceptance among producers as well as young viewers who think the content can be packed and watched in a jiffy

Short & sweet

No smoking



Jasmine Singh in Chandigarh

Bollywood actor Richa Chadda, 27, turned producer for a Punjabi short film, Khoon Aali Chithi — a short film based on dark days of terrorism in the 1980s and 90s. On similar lines, actor Tisca Chopra of Taare Zameen Par fame also turned producer with a 15-minute short film, Chutney. Her debut venture featured actors Adil Hussain and Rasika Duggal. Call it a short film revolution on the Internet.

Even though the genre of short films is not easy, many directors are veering towards it for various reasons. Some filmmakers are concerned about the flaring Rs 300-crore Bollywood club. For others, a short film is purely a creative call. Whatever the reasons, you will definitely be blown away by the number of short films present on the Internet. From socially relevant subjects to capturing the stark realities of life in a humorous 5 or 15-minute frame, short films are doing pretty well. 

Delhi’s Babusha Singh has acted in a short film 2.3 directed by Ritesh Verma and Aniruddha Khanwilkar. She sees short films as a launch pad for aspiring actors and also as a platform to highlight the unsaid issues of society. “Two.Three is directed by old friends, so I got a chance to act in the film, which is about a husband-and-wife relationship. The film is entertaining with a subtle message," says Babusha who works for IT firm. Babusha enjoyed the experience. She would now be taking her acting passion further, by acting in another short film.

Trade analyst Omar Qureshi agrees. “Short films will do well because people can watch them at their own convenience, and second, short film can be easily funded.” 

In the Bollywood gallery, a short film is often seen as a career calling card used by the amateur directors. Short films like Interior Cafe Night directed by Adhiraj Bose, starring Naseerudin Shah, Shernaz Patel and Shweta Prasad is a story of lost opportunities when it comes to love. Yet another popular short film, No Smoking starring Alok Nath, Deepak Dobriyal and Sunny Leone sends a strong anti-smoking message. The film is hilarious, yet, puts across a relevant point.

This doesn’t mean that Bollywood stars are pushing for short films. With the digital space growing at an exponential rate, we now depend on the Internet for good content. A lot of credit for the popularity of short films also goes to the rise of YouTube and other high crowd sharing sites. This has helped hundreds to watch these films for free, affording to leave an immediate feedback on the site. Films like Dum Dum Deega Deega (15 minutes), Bombay Mirror (3 minutes) and Moi Marjaani (19 minute) have relatable characters and themes.

The entire onus for the success of a short film falls on its content and marketing strategy. A binding short film with character, myth, theme and metaphor of the story flowing in a time-constrained structure defines the popularity of a short film. Says Navtej Sandhu, Punjabi filmmaker whose short film Nooran made it to the Cannes Film Festival, “When people mention ‘oh, short film’ they make it sound like it is child’s play. On the contrary, cutting a short film is more challenging.” 

Yet another filmmaker Rajeev Sharma, one of the first directors to have shown dedication for short film, sounds positive. “The Marathi cinema is doing so well; they are making small-budget movies that are getting critical acclaim as well as money,” says the director who made his first short film Aatu Khoji in Rs 1 lakh. 

“Budget wasn’t a problem. The film got a lot of appreciation from the NRI audience, so we recovered the money,” says Sharma. “The risk, however, in my case is different: we need a stronger content, and they shouldn’t all look the same like they do in a commercial venture. Also short films don’t have distributorship.” 

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