Last year saw the rise of short filmmakers who used the format to tell daring and tender stories in style. We’ve handpicked four city-based directors who you should follow
Arun Fulara
A tale of loneliness
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A quiet man awaits his usual Sunday haircut. Arun Fulara’s debut directorial, Sunday, was picked by BFI Flare: London LGBTQiA+ Film Festival as one of the five short films in the LGBTQiA+ genre. An engineer by qualification, Fulara’s interest in literature, arts, and cinema led him to launch the detailed film website, Jamuura.com, and continue writing. His tryst with cinema began with director Devashish Makhija’s Ajji in 2017, followed by the National Award winning Bhonsle. Talking about his debut short, Fulara said, “Sunday is a personal story that came out of a place of loneliness.” Describing the short film format, he said it allowed him to “recreate a moment in the life of the character and let the audience feel what he is feeling.” His latest short, My Mother’s Girlfriend (2021) has won the Best Short Film gong at the Indian Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala (2021), marking the start of a fascinating career.
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Poetic mystique
A moment from the film, Sunday
With her poetic documentary, A Night Of Knowing Nothing, Payal Kapadia became the first Indian filmmaker to win the documentary Grand Prix at Cannes, in 2021. It was the first headline act of an increasingly impressive showlist. While her feature earned her plaudits, Kapadia began with a trilogy of short films: The Last Mango Before Monsoon, Afternoon Clouds, and And What Is the Summer Saying? — that earned her appreciation across film festivals. The FTII alumnus is currently working on her first feature with a similarly poetic title, All We Imagine As Light.
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Partition pangs
A scene from Afternoon Clouds. Pics/YouTube
With multiple national awards to his name, Kaushal Oza’s works are always eagerly awaited by cinephiles. The Miniaturist of Junagadh is the filmmaker’s latest portrait of separation, loss, and the tragedy of Partition. Oza won his first award for Vaishnava Jana Toh. The film won the National Award for Best Debut Director of Short Film in 2010. His second short, Afterglow, was backed by FTII, and won the National Award for Best Short Film on Family Welfare. Featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Rasika Dugal and Padmavati Rao, Oza’s latest is adding to his growing prominence.
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Balancing act
A scene from Phir Kya Tha
From working backstage in theatre to acting bit parts to keep the rent going, Avalokita Dutt has been there and done that. In 2021, she discovered a new direction in Phir Kya Tha? Surreal and relatable, the film captures the isolating experience of the global pandemic. Dutt has worked the big scene as assistant director with Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015), and Jolly LLB 2 (2017), but short films attract her. She was mentored by filmmaker Amit Masurkar to create Gutthi in 2019, for the popular anthology, Shuruaat Ka Twist. Juggling writing, directing, and project management, Dutt is one name to look out for in the future.
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