If you’re Bored in the house, and you’re in the house bored; here’s some riveting Indian short film you can watch to entertain yourself and pretend to be cultured in front of your friends.
Devi (Trigger warnings- Rape, abuse, child abuse, marital rape, violence)
You have probably heard of this Short film before. This is a borderline ensemble film with an all-female cast; starring Kajol, Neha Dhupia, Yashaswini Dayama, and Shruti Haasan amongst others. It follows a regular day in an asylum for rape victims, until a new guest arrives. This leads to a heated argument on whether or not they should be allowed in the already overcrowded home, and if they are, how they will be accommodated. The film, naturally is a tear-jerking piece and the end will probably absolutely break you like it did me.
Kahaanibaaz (Trigger Warnings- Domestic abuse, violence)
The film starts with a regular married couple waiting for a cab. They are tired, from what seems like a long journey. To add to their fatigue, their cab driver happens to be an overly-friendly, intruding man, who seems to have no sense of personal boundaries. However, as the film flows through its course you come to realize exactly how much the wife has given up. The film (and the cab) eventually takes a turn into a shady plot, and before you know it, the lesson hits you.
Chhuri
Chhuri, starring Tisca Chopra as the lead, talks about infidelity. Contrary to what you might think, this is actually a light-hearted, somewhat funny film. The beginning of the film portrays Tisca as a woman who is too weak to do or say anything about her husband’s extramarital affair. But about 5 minutes in, a comical series of events start unfolding, at the end of which is standing a strong, funny, and absolutely savage Tisca, driving with a smirk on her face.
Nitishastra (Trigger warnings- Rape, violence)
Just the fact that Taapsee Pannu is the Lead in a film sets high expectations, and almost always a guarantee that you will not regret watching it. This film does not fail that expectation and is even more proof that Taapsee is one of if not the best gifts the film industry could ever receive. The plot is the story of a self-defense instructor’s predicament as she struggles to choose between family and justice, and boy is it an enthralling experience.
Ahalya
The film revolves around police officer Indra Sen, who is investigating the disappearance of a man named Arjun and that leads him to the house of Goutam Sadhu, an artist. There, He comes across a small sculpture that has an uncanny resemblance to the man that had disappeared. He encounters Sadhu’s beautiful wife, and finds that he too wasn’t susceptible to her charms. The movie then introduces the concept of dark magic and from that point on, to the end is an absolute wild ride.
Kheer
Kheer, starring Anupam Kher is a cute, light-hearted, family film that focuses on the relationship between a widower and his grandchildren when they start to feel that he is slowly replacing their grandmother. If you wish to just watch a simple, light, no brainer film, this is the one to watch.
Suno (trigger warning- Rape, violence)
This film focuses on the meaning of consent and how a seemingly happy and normal couple, has problems that they refuse to acknowledge initially. However, over time the wife is forced to come face to face with it and pulls the issue out from under the carpet.
Chutney
This film stars Tisca Chopra as a middle-class woman, like any other. You probably wouldn’t be able to pick her out of a crowd of other middle-class women. The people around her don’t really respect her and believe that making up stories is second nature to her. The real plot begins when she invites one of her husband’s apparent flings over to her house on the pretense of sharing recipes. What she then narrates, is an extremely creepy anecdote; and it’ll leave you in bed at 12 in the morning contemplating whether that was true or just another one of her stories.
Ouch
Ouch, starring Manoj Bajpayee is another hilarious take on infidelity. It’s set in a hotel room where Manoj is found, visibly nervous. It is then established that he is there to meet a girl named Priya. They are seemingly indulging in an extramarital affair, and appear to have had a pact to break it to their spouses that day. What follows is an amazingly crafted storyline, that will leave you in splits.
Kriti (Trigger warning- violence)
Manoj Bajpayee and Radhika Apte starrer Kriti begins in a therapist’s clinic. Kalpana, played by Apte is Sapan’s (Bajpayee) therapist. He’s talking about a girl he has fallen for, Kriti. It is revealed that Sapan is schizophrenic and that he had, in his past imagined a significant other named Rachna. Apte doesn’t seem to believe that Rachna is real, and so ensues Sapan’s quest to prove Kriti’s existence. By the end you won’t be able to figure out what is real and what is not. The film gives one goosebumps and as clickbait-y as this sounds, the ending will shock you.
Lavanya Joshi
(Student, Grade XII, Manav Rachna International School) is an aspiring content writer and poet. She is a published author and has performed in various spoken word/poetry forums She has a quirky sense of humor and uses it sarcastically to drive home a point. She is a staunch feminist and takes a keen interest in human behavior and psychology.
