Maacher Jhol, Tungrus, Last Day of Summer: A round-up of 2018's best short films by veteran and debutant directors

I must start by acknowledging that a majority of these films would not have been made without the advent of the digital in cinema. That said, I admit that I had to swim through a lot of shallow waters before arriving at the clear, often near visionary aspect of some of the better films I chanced upon this year.

Writing about short films is a tricky affair. The limited runtime means that the reviewer must latch onto the fundamental idea underpinning the film and hunt for hints of filmmaking talent or a unique way of looking at the world that may one day witness them mounting ambitious feature film projects. The same goes for the acting and technical talent that goes into these films. In sum, one searches for the needle of the future in the haystack of the present.

This list is by no means exhaustive. Here’s hoping that we see even better, more electrifying visions in 2019. In no particular order, these are the best five short films I watched in 2018:

Pavsacha Nibandh

Pure cinema. Nagraj Manjule conjures his own world while paying homage to the myriad aspects of rain. He pierces through the romanticism that surrounds the idea of the Indian monsoon to arrive at the beating heart of the people who suffer its vagaries the worst. The images are beautiful, the world inviting, but the people who populate it find it difficult to get through their day under the assault of the endless rain. This simplicity of contrasts lends An Essay for the Rain its lasting power.

Read the full review here .

Maacher Jhol

Abhishek Verma crafts a quiet love story that seems to possess the visage of a long lost love letter discovered by chance on a rainy evening. The director’s gift for creating atmosphere using timeless songs and the aroma of food in the tale of a young man coming out while longing for his partner makes for a uniquely quirky viewing experience. The animation only serves to heighten the old-worldly feeling imparted by Verma’s film.

Read the full review here .

Mayat

Nama, aptly portrayed by Kailash Waghmare, is one of the most intriguing protagonists I saw in a short film all year. Riding his bicycle through his village all day long, he hunts for funerals so that he can pick up the coins thrown as votive offerings by the people attending them. Director Suyash Shinde’s film is steeped in irony, but it never sentimentalises the struggles of his protagonist. Instead, it simply chooses to show this man’s daily life as one of many led by people who seem to inhabit worlds that shall remain statistics for a majority of us. And it makes for amazing storytelling.

Read the full review here .

Tungrus

The patriarch of a family brings home a chicken, announcing it as their new pet. But admits to having no qualms about eating him when the time comes. Rishi Chandna’s debut is many things, but to me it is first and foremost a short paean to the bewildering ways in which we love. Quirky and fun, it is a meticulously put together document of a family coming to terms with a new member in the household. Since I can’t resist the comparison, I suggest you watch it as a double bill with Badhaai Ho.

Read the full review here .

Last Day of Summer

The unhurried pace that director George Kora brings to his short tale of a father and son reconnecting after the mother’s passing makes it the quietly effecting film that it is. Last Day of Summer is an earnest film, birthed in a deeply personal space. To his credit, though, Kora tells his story with a sensitivity that neither approaches the subject as a sacred object nor remotely renders it profane. It seems like a film that he made only for people closest to him to watch, a private document too fragile to stand the stares of others. And it is a joy to watch it unfold.

Read the full review here .