Short Film Corner

Short Film Screenings

An NCPA Presentation in collaboration with White Wall Screenings

Many wonderful short films are being made in India. Filmmakers are at work in their own regions, devising bold, new ways to experiment with form and technique. Short Film Corner hopes to be a showcase for these films and open a dialogue between the filmmakers and their audiences.

Varasa
Marathi with English Subtitles (5 mins)

The film follows a young man who grapples with the weight of ancestral traditions and expectations, enduring physical and emotional trials imposed by his grandfather. These acts are presented as preparation for a role passed down through generations. Within this rigid space of faith and discipline, he begins to question what it truly means to inherit such a legacy. Varasa explores how pain is normalised and repeated as duty and reflects on the quiet possibility of breaking a cycle that has shaped a family for years.

Directed by Dhiraj Sanghai

We Heard the World Looks Beautiful
Marathi with English Subtitles (15 mins)

Based on Marathi folklore, this film follows Jyoti, a newlywed bride who enters a village of blind people. Confused and vulnerable, she struggles to understand the rituals and rules of her new home, especially her deeply unsettling first encounter with the banyan tree. She is comforted by her husband Nitin, who treats the incident as normal, leaving her questions unanswered. Akka, Nitin’s mother and a powerful figure in the village, shares the folklore of Baai, the women who founded the village, drawing parallels between Baai and Jyoti to persuade her to accept her situation, without questioning. Over seven days, Jyoti observes the cheerful, obedient women of the village and gradually surrenders her doubt, ultimately becoming blind herself.

Directed by Shreyas Mandhare

Varas (The Heir)
Hindi with English Subtitles (19 mins)

Varas (The Heir) is a horror-drama that delves into the harrowing legacy of a century-old curse, which condemns a family to have children with physical deformity. There is only one way to make sure this curse ends. For the next five generations, one member of the family must sacrifice themselves in a sacred ritual and Janaki, born with partial paralysis, is the final sacrifice. Seen as a burden, she has accepted her fate. Her brother, Naradar, obsessed with preserving their bloodline, is eager to see her gone, disguising his deep hatred as duty. However, on the day of the ritual, things don’t go as planned.

Directed by Rohan Apte

The screening will be followed by a Q&A session.

Entry free on a first come, first served basis. NCPA members will get preferential seating till 6.20 pm.