Easy Breezy: Short Films that you shouldn't miss on YouTube right now!

Having carved a niche for itself, short films have now won for themselves a large audience base – the Internet has also made them easy, accessible and available. One can easily call them a legit and favoured medium of storytelling within the cinematic fabric of the country. Made on shoestring budgets, low on production and with absolutely no marketing models, these films come from love and enthusiasm for the craft of filmmaking. CY lists their pick of the season that you should be buffering right now!

Ahalya

There is more to Sujoy Ghosh than Kahaani, and he reminds you of that strong yet bizarre sense of what makes a stellar thriller keep you glued to your seat or at the tip of it. Ahalya is an example of this auteur’s fine craft and heady storytelling technique. Starring veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee with the talented Radhika Apte in the lead, this viewer’s delight takes from the famous namesake in the Ramayana and the idea of infidelity. An excellent watch for the way it was conceived rather than the storyline altogether; this one is highly recommended.

Interior Café Night

Int. Café Night directed by Adhiraj Bose is both heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. Set in Kolkata Café Interior, the film stars Shernaz Patel, NaveenKasturia and ShwetaBasu Prasad in important roles. Yet it is Naseeruddin Shah’s haunting eyes that range from disappointment to helplessness that string your emotions like a harp in a silent storm. Watch this movie for its beautifully poetic story line, like it was an Ode to love and longing film. CY thinks it is one of those rare short films that will stay with you a while after you’re done watching it. Complement the smile you are gifted with in the end with some yum bread pudding, we suggest.

That Day After Everyday

Produced by Anurag Kashyap’s Large Short Films and written by NitinBharadwaj, this one is directed by the man himself and stars RadhikaApte (yet again). A take on a woman’s every day and their rampant subjection to eve teasing and molestation, this one is a modern tale cut of reality. The movie has its heart and soul intact and keeps you rapt in attention till the very end.

Afterglow

An absolute and unparalleled gem, Afterglow won the National Award for the Best Short Film in the Family Values section at the 60th National awards. Directed by Kaushal Oza this Parsi tragicomedy is contained in the pre and post of the titular character Meher’s husband’s death. Played to perfection by AnahitaUberoi and SohrabArdeshir, with that hilarious garnish of MahabanooMody-Kotwal, the movie leaves you in splits and tears. Narrated in the many visits of visitors who have come to offer their fickle condolences to the widow, this is one you can watch over and over again.

Kriti

Embroiled in a controversy for its similarities to a Nepalese film BOB, Kriti directed by Shirish Kunder and starring Radhika Apte, Manoj Bajpayee and Neha Sharma in lead roles was briefly pulled down from YouTube. Now that it is back on, one must watch it for the sheer thriller that it is, the fine performances and the striking climax. Kriti, the movie, sets out to explore the question. With a run time of under 19 minutes, one certainly cannot complain about the pace of the sharply edited film – it keeps the action unrelenting, and consequences unfold quickly. Plagiarized or not time will tell, but for now, let’s indulge in some fine entertainment.

Tell us which is your favourite short film on and off the list.

Happy viewing!