Short Films from Delhi You've Gotta Watch | Part II

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By Priya Bhattacharji

"Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in it. Put your name on it as director. Now you’re a director. Everything after that you’re just negotiating your budget and your fee."- James Cameron

‘Just do it’ has to be the short-filmmaker’s credo. You don’t need experience, you need enterprise. All it takes to make a passable short film is a tight storyline, a decent digital camera, editing software, enthusiasts willing to work for free and a LOT of positive vibes. Do stay away from those who spew the “Just because ya own a DSLR doesn’t mean you are a photographer’ kind of retorts. In continuation to my previous list, here is another set of 5 short-films to hopefully inspire you to grab a camera and make a short film.

 

PEN CHOR | Dir: Ankur Kapoor; Dur: 8.10 minutes

A wonderful example to prove that deadlines fuel imagination and ingenuity! Made as a part of the 48 hour film project, the film is a campy take on the emotive conflict of good vs evil present in most superhero films. While the story is inconsequential, the ‘dramedy’ created through lofty music,  childhood scars, an exaggerated ‘action’ sequence, bizarre nature of crime and its subsequent chaos maintain the momentum of this mock epic. The lead actors {Pen Chor as the kid and as a youth} are bound to keep you engrossed.

CANNES: A PRACTICAL GUIDE |Dir: Udayan Chakravarty & Rohit Dhamija; Dur: 3 minutes

A hilarious ‘things to do’ list by a Cannes –winning duo, based on their experiences at the mecca of global advertising. Rarely do you see Dilliwallahs effortlessly caricature themselves! The self-effacing humor in this direct animation is ripe in repartee. If you are headed to an ad-fest, brush up on etiquette essentials with this film.


THE DELHI BOY | Dir: Anubhav Singh; Dur:  6.34 minutes 

The ‘Delhi boy’ is an integral part in the popular imagination of the city, the ‘unwitting’ subject of memes and open letters. The short film scrutinizes the “Delhi boy’s" hypocritical attitude towards women. The film has nothing exceptional to offer in terms of technique and content. Yet, it is spot on in its portrayal of the archetypical flashy boor the 'Delhi Boy' is oft regarded to be. No surprises as to why it has racked up over 120,000 views.


DELHI | Dir: BFI Films; Dur: 9.24 minutes

Filmed in 1938 by Oscar winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff, this travelogue serves as a justification /assertion of colonial power. The film showcases the ‘spirit of the new and vital Delhi’ which has been ‘externalized in a new style of architecture, deriving its inspiration not from one tradition but from two, molding the culture of two continents into a third’. Delhi – her tumultuous past with many rulers, her impressive ruins, her splendid makeover aided by the British Raj - becomes the storyline. The trough and crests in the background music succinctly support the drama the city has witnessed.

MAN DOWN {Photo essay} | Dir: Sayan Chaudhuri; Dur: 4.30 minutes

A student film about a young man’s fixation with “manning up”. The film is an exploration of various mindsets to address issues of masculine anxiety and sexism. This was the winning entry in a first-of-its-kind contest “The Photo-story to Short Film” contest organized by Shamiana - the short film club, and Uncommonsense Productions.

Notes in our Little Black Book |

If these films have inspired you to pick up your camera and get to work, make sure you share your final product on https://www.facebook.com/Shamianashorts%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E?utm_source=LBB&ref=lbbpost

Click here to see Part 1 of this series.

About the author | Priya Bhattacharji takes care of programming of various Shamiana chapters, and has been doing so since 2009. She pursues this as a hobby, while working as a brand strategist professionally.