The jury’s verdict is in! Judges from the Film Critics Guild have hand-picked the winners of Village Square’s competition for college students. Check out the winning movies that will be screened at the Chitrashaala short film festival.
Village Square is thrilled to announce the top three winners of the short film competition for college students, held as part of the Chitrashaala short film festival on rural India.
The winning entries were handpicked by a three-member jury from the Film Critics Guild (FCG), comprising Arnab Banerjee, Shomini Sen and Suparna Sharma.
The selected films portray the various settings and facets of Indian rural life. Directed by up-and-coming filmmaking enthusiasts, these short movies offer viewers a unique perspective of various aspects of rural India. They will be screened alongside other short films like Muzaffar Ali’s Dastaan-e-Dastkari — Moradabad, Jigar Nagdal’s Aravali: The Lost Mountains, and Manish Saini’s Giddh (The Scavenger) starring Sanjay Mishra.
Here’s more on the winning entries, that you can catch at Chitrashaala short film festival on August 3, at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi.
Made by Ayon Pratim Saikia, Lullaby of the Waves unfolds as a poignant exploration of the filmmaker’s journey toward understanding and accepting the profound sense of belonging tied to space and time. Through a 53-year-old mother’s quest for employment and her deep connection to the Brahmaputra river, the narrative centres on Assam, chronicles the constant search for validation and a place to call home.
Saikia, 27, is currently pursuing a Master’s in Design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Tezpur Central University, Assam. He hails from Sadiya, a town on the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
“My ideas and inspirations share a relationship with my roots,” he told Village Square.
His work also includes wildlife documentaries, music videos as well as advertisements. He is currently working on his debut feature film.
Also Read: All you need to know about Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival
A shy kid unwillingly goes to attend a wedding in his village. The journey and the wedding itself unexpectedly change him. He is home after this encounter with his new self, still ambiguous. The story behind Ek Aadmi Ka Nyota is very personal to its director Amit Kumar.
“While studying at the film school in Rohtak, I came across films by Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbaf set in Iranian villages,” Kumar, who hails from Harsana Kalan in Sonipat, Haryana, told Village Square. “I was particularly fascinated by the similarities in the culture and landscape between my village and those in Iran.”
This encouraged him to tell stories about nearby villages. Ek Aadmi ka Nyota was a way for Kumar to relive the moments of his childhood, and the movie reflects the relationship between him and his mother.
Kumar, 31, is currently pursuing a degree in law from the University of Delhi.
Despite several economic advancements in rural India that have enabled many from the marginalised communities to afford cars and bikes, the symbolic act of riding a mare at a wedding remains contentious. This contrast deeply intrigued Soham Bhende, who set out to explore these dynamics further through his short film, Raja ki Baraat.
Set in Kachnariya village of Madhya Pradesh, the film revolves around Rajesh Ahirwar’s courageous act of riding a mare at his wedding, defying caste norms and sparking violence from the dominant community.
Watch: Chitrashaala – Village Square’s short film fest trains the lens on rural India
“In rural India, riding a mare during wedding processions is perceived as a challenge by Dalits, often provoking violent reactions from members of the upper castes who strive to maintain traditional hierarchies,” he said.
Bhende, a 20-year-old B.Des Communication Design student at the National Institute of Design, MP, possesses a passion for storytelling and capturing the nuances of everyday life. Particularly drawn to the themes of home, belongingness and human rights, he finds inspiration in the narratives of people he encounters.
Besides the top three films, 21-year-old Nanki Ghuman’s Patangarh ka Hero received a special mention from the jury. This film explores the origins and evolution of Gond art, focusing on the village of Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh, and the life of its pioneer, Jangarh Singh Shyam.
It aims to capture the essence of Patangarh, offering a glimpse into the Gond tribe’s rich cultural heritage. lt also examines Gond art within the context of commercial art.
Speaking of what inspired her to make this film, Ghuman said, “I am fascinated by the various Indian crafts and feel a strong urge to learn more about the artists behind these creations and their motivations.”
Ghuman graduated from the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), Delhi earlier this year with a degree in communication design.
Also Read: Child marriage ban helps Gond girls pursue dreams
Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival focuses on stories from rural India.
Date: August 3, 2024
Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
The lead image on top shows a still from Lullaby of Waves, a short film made by Ayon Pratim Saikia.
Aditi Sahoo is a second-year BA student at Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi. Aditi is passionate about communication, writing and research.
