Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 18 June 2018 | Page 63

WITH
Rammat Gammat, Afternoon Clouds, Khujli
thought of it when I was making Fandry,
but I could not do it then. Often one
thinks of a subject but then it fizzles out.
What stays with you for a long time
deserves to be made.”
Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, who
made the acclaimed Masaan, echoes
similar sentiments. He recently made a
short film titled Juice, with Shefali Shah
in the lead. “People ask why make a
short film after a feature film, because
they think it’s just a stepping stone to
longer features. But all filmmakers
make short films the world over. This is
not for money or commercial returns.
This is for the autonomy that it gives
me,” says Ghaywan, adding that some
producers also look at short films as
surrogate marketing or a brand-build-
ing exercise. Juice takes place at a mid-
dle class house party where men
casually discuss Donald Trump’s presi-
dential victory over drinks and snacks
and women prepare those snacks and
meal in the kitchen without a fan.
Short films can do for filmmakers
what features probably can’t—give
them space enough to explore some-
thing micro, a small incident or an idea
with nuanced detailing and sharp focus.
“The format frees you from the commer-
cial constraints. You can stick to your
ideas of pure cinema,” says filmmaker
Ajitpal Singh. His short film Rammat
Gammat tells the story of two best fri­
ends who love football and go through a
tough lesson when the richer friend gets
football shoes. The film is shot in rural
Gujarat in rains and the lead actors are
actual football players. “I think films
shouldn’t be treated as shorts or fea-
tures. Shorts also demand the same
amount of preparation as features. In a
way, they’re more challenging because
by the time the whole crew starts work-
ing in harmony, the shooting is over, so
you need to have a solid pre-production
and a lengthy brainstorming session
with the whole crew.”
Singh was in Germany recently for the
world premiere of his film at the 64th
International Short Film Festival Ober­
hausen. He is happy about the special
mention the film received in the chil-
dren and youth category. “Festivals are
a great way of getting introduced to
films and the audience from across the
world,” he says. “It helps you under-
stand how people from different parts of
the world relate to your film. During our
world premiere, a young German girl
was deeply moved—her own life experi-
18 June 2018 OUTLOOK 63
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India, ab
SEEDHE KI
AADAT
DAAL LO!
2017