Five young directors under the supervision of filmmaker AnuragKashyap have created five short format movies that are centered on the core theme of ‘India is a Visual Journey’. The films capture the various lives in India beautifully. Each story picks up a particular element that represents the pulse of India in the current time.
Talking about this great opportunity, Anubhuti Kashyap, director of Moi Marjani, says, “This is the story of a middle aged woman, raising her child independently, the problems that she faces in her daily life and about her search for love. The movie is based in Patiala and its called Moi Marjani as this is very Punjabi way of an old person addressing a young person with a lot of affection which may seem like scolding.”
All the short films are launched by Bollywood giant Viacom18 Motion Pictures giving these young and talented directors a great platform. The series of short films started with the launch of Hidden Cricket, directed by Shlok Sharma which showcases how deeply cricket is engraved in the everyday lives of Indians. Talking about the movie, director Shlok Sharma says, “The film is about ‘interesting cricket’, played by the aam aadmi… The characters of the movie are real, it can be you and me… We totally enjoyed shooting for the film in Patiala. Also, the music by Vishal Khurana is a treat.”
Chai, directed by Gitanjali Rao explores the life of four individuals from different parts of the country who have migrated to other places within the country who sell something as simple as chai. Talking about the film, Gitanjali points out that, “The issue of mass migration in a developing country like India, one cannot not notice the mass exodus that is happening… I have always been an animation filmmaker and this is the first time where animation works within the context of live action. It bring out the imaginary, dreams, fantasy quite well.”
Neeraj Ghaywan who directed The Epiphany one of the five short films, says “The movie is about a divorced couple returning to Mumbai after their college reunion in Pune. On their way they meet an old woman with a wounded boy. In a truly secular country you may have fights about different culture, class but there is this amazing sense of brotherhood and bonding that comes during the time of a crisis makes India a truly unique country.”
Geek Out directed by Vasan Bala completes the list of short films released by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, says, “Geek Out is a modern representation of the common man that RK Laxman has been depicting from so long. Just that his characters have been stuck in geography and today the same common man is not bound by any geography. He is a global citizen in many ways… The empowerment that World Wide Web has given him is immense. And the entire universe that has opened for him almost gives him a super human quality which can transcend any geography and universe.”
