25th Madurai Film Festival 2023
List of films : Short fiction from India
1) Aaha Nanna Maduve Ante!
Dir : Preeti Saga; 28 min; Short fiction; India
Sinchana, a 20-something in Bangalore, does not have life figured out. Her father is mean, getting permission to step out of the house is a chore, her love life is weird, and her best friend is always pushing her to be… better.
With her father continuing to push marriage down her throat, Sinchana heads out in the city one day and finds out that there really are only two options. One, do something. Two, have life do something to you. Which one will she choose?
2) Robin
Dir : Gagan Chirayu; 26.06; Short fiction; India
A prominent politician's house is robbed in Bangalore city. The police have started the investigation of the robbery and have started searching for the robbers. As Neha finishes her work and goes home, the police conduct their search. There is a mysterious bag inside Neha's car but the police did not notice it. Subsequently, the story unfolds with the arrival of unknown persons in Neha's house, intriguingly and secretly leading the narrative
3) Kameez
Dir : Dhrubajit Baishya; 19.59 min; Short fiction; India
4) This Summer is Waiting
Dir : Sowmya Mukhopadhyay; 14.45; Short fiction; India
It is summer in Kolkata, India. A man waits at a bus stop in the morning while a girl with a violin waits in the afternoon. One day their paths cross. A strange relationship unfolds as they begin exploring the quiet of the city.
5) Dava
Dir : Shashank Trivedi; 14.51; Short fiction; India
Mocked by a boy, chutki wants to show her father also cares for her but circumstances has something more planned for her family.
6) Loo
Dir : Chanakya Vyas; 14.22 min; Short fiction; India
Struggling to find a place to pee, a domestic helper working in an apartment building decides to secretly use the toilet in the house where she works leading to the breaking of unsaid norms between her and the employer, as class bias comes to the fore.
7) Sirithu Velicham (Ray of Hope)
Dir : Balaji SBR; 12.43 min; Short fiction; India
A man returns from his incarceration after 13 years. He goes to meet his beloved daughter. But the daughter amidst her wedding preparations sends him back.
8) Canvas
Dir : Sanjai Chandrasekaran; 18.40 min; Short fiction; India
This is the story of a Therukoothu artist, it depicts how he challenges his problems and what all he goes through behind the screen (offscreen) due to his challenging phase in life.
9) Domkawala - The Raven
Dir : Prasant Sawant; 10.43 min; Short fiction; India
10) Koyta (Sickle)
Dir : Shaksham Vyas; 8.48 min; Short fiction; India
11) Cake
Dir : Surya Ma Ve; 17.25 min; Short fiction; India
Prabhu, a poor laborer, wants to buy a birthday cake to fulfil his daughter's wish.
12) 500th
Dir: Aritra Banerjee; 20 min; Short fiction; India
Ipshita was walking along the road alone at midnight. Suddenly she saw a bus-stop on the opposite lane of the Highway and decided to cross the road. She was about to collide with a truck, when a mysterious woman appeared out of nowhere and pulled her back to save her life.
13) Silence in the Library
Dir : Yang Zimik; 18.31 min; Short fiction; India / United States
Student protesters trapped inside their university library prepare for armed forces to inevitably break through the doors. The film follows two characters on either side of the conflict.
14) Diary of Hitler Kumar
Dir : Rohit Patidar; 7.48 min; Short fiction; India
A documentary about Hitler Kumar who is obsessed with killing mosquitoes.
15) A Tale of Two Indians
Dir : Raghav Parmer; 15.42 min; Short fiction; India
Two naive kids, unaffected by their distinct religions, come together to save a life. Meanwhile, in a parallel world, a communal riot breaks out between the same two communities where people are thirsty for each other’s blood.
16) Meenakshi
Dir : Umang Ritalal Sangani; 7.43 min; Short fiction; India
Meenakshi is judged as an adolescent girl for bleeding after her first periods, she is judged as a young woman for not wanting to have sex, she is judged as a young wife for wanting to learn music and then, when she is stripped of all desire and ambition, hence becoming conformed, she is judged for not having agency, for being ‘like a child’.
17) ATM Card
Dir : Rajit Chandan; 14.56 min; Short fiction; India
A struggling actor turns to a life of deceit, using his voice to exploit vulnerable seniors through ATM card scams. As his fraudulent actions lead to a heartbreaking breakup and a downward spiral into mental instability, he reaches the brink of despair.
18) Roads
Dir : Daanish Shastri; 21.43 min; Short fiction; India
Divya, an eleven year old girl in a quaint Himalayan village dreams of becoming an astronaut. Crucial to her dream is the new road that will connect her small hamlet to a larger town and a bigger school. The road is made but it doesn't even withstand one monsoon due to the inherent corruption of the system which lines the pockets of all those involved in the construction.
19) Two Worlds
Dir : Nithya Gopalakrishnan; 11.28 min; Short fiction; India
A young graduate, deep in debt, receives a call on a sunny and busy morning in Chennai. Assuring that he'd reach within 15 mins, he begins racing in his motorbike through the traffic, risking his life even!
20) Ek Photo Kheechoge?
Dir : Pratham Bhatia; 15 min; Short fiction; India
Amlan, a middle-aged photographer is on the lookout for a photograph and finds it hard to get through the day until he captures a snapshot of himself in an unexpected companion.
21) Anney
Dir : Anandha Rajan Yavana Rajan; 8.47 min; Short fiction; India
At a village in Tamil Nadu, India - Two siblings Anandam & Selvam with differing interests (Love Vs Money) face each other at two moments; one in their childhood and at another peak moment after 38 years.
22) A Drop of Time
Dir : Iniya Vasanthan; 12 min; Short fiction; India
Amudhan visits his home after his father’s demise. As he recollects his memories the moments with his father, he finds a bunch of unsent letters written by his father.
23) See Me
Dir : Shwetal Bhatt, Shereen Saif; 10.14 min; Short fiction; India
A video call with bad connections makes for comedic situations that leads Shereen, the protagonist, a woman, see herself in the screen before her.
24) Farther than Distance
Dir : Taruna Khatri; 14.12 min; Short fiction; India; Student film
'Farther than Distance' is a day in the life of a student called Iti going through a phase of isolation in her life. The film explores her need to belong, with undertones of depression, intertwined with envy of others who seem to have better human bonds than her.
25) Hottebaka
Dir : Vishnu Tenkayala; 19.19 min; Short fiction; India
'Hottebāka' meaning gluttony, follows the journey of a young, small town woman who moves to Bangalore to pursue her dreams of becoming an actor in the film industry. She manages to secure a position in a film but is asked to lose some weight for the role.
26) Missing Since 6.12.1956
Dir : Anand Pande; 19.58 min; Short fiction; India
This short film begins with two teachers at a government school in a small village finding out that they must be ready overnight for a surprise inspection by the senior government official in the morning. But they are missing an important photo from the school office wall. The photo is of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
27) Waiting for Kalki
Dir : Nimay Goswami; 13.55 min; Short fiction; India / United Kingdom
Waiting for Kalki is a story about a day in the life of Vishnu, a daily wage leather tannery worker, stuck in the monotonous loop of poverty.
28) Vyarth
Dir : Vijay Pandurang Chaugule; 20 min; Short fiction; India
Suman, a hopeful bride enters her in-laws' home with dreams of a happy life. However, strange things start happening, making Suman feel uneasy and paranoid. She constantly hears a mysterious voice coming through a closed door, which adds to her discomfort.
29) Vivarta
Dir : Gayathry S.; 10.28 min; Short fiction; India; Student film
Vivarta (meaning- Change of form / condition, Transformation) is a 10 min 30 sec experimental short film that combines folklore and poetry with images and sounds from nature.
30) Court
Dir : Vritti Bhardwaj, Koshika, Yakshika, Khushi Goyal; 14.23 min; India; Short film; India; Student film
The story revolves around two passionate badminton players, Aftab and Ajay. Aftab, who gets motivated by his coach, to stay focused on his ambition. Whereas for Ajay, his mother, being a sports enthusiast herself, acts as his support system.
31) Pehla Anda
Dir : Vritti Bhardwaj, Koshika; 11.28 min; Short film; India; Student film
The story revolves around a family of a 10 years old girl named Bhoori who gets her first period, and her mother, the only female in the house, not being home. Knowing nothing about it, she comes to the conclusion that she might die and makes different conclusions in her head to its reasoning.
32) Rider Rukmani
Dir : Guhan S; 19 min; Short film; India; Student film
During her trip, Rukmani (A solo woman traveller) meets a man who sticks cinema posters on walls. They travel together to watch a movie. The man is not allowed inside the multiplex as he is wearing a Lungi.
33) Ain’t No Beef in Tangra
Dir : Karthik Verma; 16.52 min; Short film; India; Student film
Sam, an English professor, goes drinking in Tangra with his 12-year old student, reminiscing over his dead wife.
34) I am not Down
Dir : Jyoti Madnani Singh; 11.37 min; Short film; India; Student film
Saloni, a class topper, is period shamed in school after she gets her first period. At home, her uneducated but caring mother Asha tears the only vest of her husband to provide a clean cloth for Saloni’s protection and comfort as she has to take annual exams the next day.
35) The Lost Herd
Dir : Bhagavath; 19.55 min; Short film; India
When a herd of goats suddenly gets lost, the lives of the people around them start to change.
36) A Temporary Matter
Dir : Deepanwita Goswami; 12.36 min; Short film; India; Student film
Adapted from the short story - A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri, from the book of Interpreter of Maladies, the film draws inspiration in its plot and structure. The narrative revolves around a couple, a husband and wife, who over a period of 5 days, courtesy nightly blackouts, get to talk after almost 6 months.
37) Children’s Day
Dir: Hitesh Shyamlal Yadav; 19.55 min; Short film; India
Gotya, a nine year old boy who lives with his mother in a small village. Gotya's mother is a hardworking women who does household work to earn the living for her and her son. Gotys is crazy about the marbles and always want to play marbles even in the daydreams.
38) The Last Meet?
Dir : Prakhar Mishra; 8.14 min; Short film; India
An Ex-couple meets after some time of the breakup, and they both go through their version of memory of the relationship and the events.
39) Van Gogh
Dir : Bhavya Shah, Vaibhav Bhatt; 6.25 min; Short film; India
The short film 'Van Gogh' takes the audience on an immersive journey through the protagonist's inner turmoil. It beautifully captures the essence of self-doubt, overthinking, and the relentless pursuit of perfection that plagues his psyche.
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