Best Short films of 2017

Here are 15 of the best short films from 2017.

2017 might not have been the best year for Hindi cinema but it surely saw a surge in the number of short films that caught the audience’s attention. A lot of new filmmakers along with many new technicians now have a platform to tell their stories through this format. While short films were earlier restricted to limited viewing, thanks to video sharing platforms, they have now become a rage. Viewers are happy to invest a few minutes to get entertained and since it doesn’t even require any monetary investment, these films are welcomed with open arms.

Here are 15 short films from 2017 that managed to create a mark. (The order of this list is not as per ranking)

1. Chhuri (Dir: Mansi Jain)

Starring Tisca Chopra, Surveen Chawla & Anurag Kashyap, this short film is the story of a wife who is tired of her cheating husband and decides to work out a compromise with the mistress. Much like Tisca’s short film Chutney last year, this film centers around the same subject and deals with it a sharp, direct way.

2. Juice (Dir: Neeraj Ghaywan)

Starring Shefali Shah, this short film is the story of every patriarchal household where women belong in the kitchen while the men have all the right to sit around and celebrate the way they want. The film explores how women, from a very young age, are conditioned to serve the men of the house and this orthodox tradition lasts forever.

3. Anukul (Dir: Sujoy Ghosh)

Starring Saurabh Shukla, Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Kharaj Mukherjee, this short film is based on a short story by Satyajit Ray, Anukul is the story of a man who hires a robot-human for his daily chores. With Anukul, Ghosh attempts to make a short film that conveys its meaning through gestures instead of dialogues.

4. Jai Mata Di (Dir: Navjot Gulati)

Starring Supriya Pilgaokar, Shiv, Shriya Pilgaokar, this slice of life film explains what Mumbai is all about. When a couple who wants to live together is asked for proof that they are actually married, they call in a motherly figure who can talk to the broker on their half.

5. The Affair (Dir: Hardik Mehta)

Starring Amit Sial, Khushboo Upadhyay and Mahi Sadhwani, this short film is a story of love from the cramped city of dreams. A man and woman sit by the sea every evening and the vast sea is their only companion. But this affair cannot last for long as they have to rush back home and continue to live the mundane life.

6. Kheer (Dir: Surya Balakrishnan)

Starring Anupam Kher and Natasha Rastogi is the story of love that goes beyond the boundaries of social convention. There is no age to fall in love but sometimes it’s tricky to let the younger ones know that companionship is what holds two people together.

7. Khujli (Dir: Sonam Nair)

Starring Neena Gupta and Jackie Shroff, this short film is the story of a married couple who have fallen into a routine but dream of spicing things up. Khujli is the story of breaking out of the monotony and the hilarious obstacles that come their way.

8. Death of a Father (Dir: Somnath Pal)

This animated film is the story of a son who goes through grief after the death of his father. He has to keep up with the rituals while also dealing with his and his family’s emotions.

9. The Manliest Man (Dir: Anuj Gulati)

Starring Yogesh Tiwari and Mukesh Pachode, this story is set in a village where the birth of a girl child is no cause for celebration. The village potter has not had any sons yet and this is a cause for concern for the sarpanch. The village thrives on its archaic caste-based politics and the ones who have daughters are treated as criminals.

10. Bruno & Juliet (Dir: Khawar Jamsheed)

This is a conventional love story. The one raised with all the riches yearns for the simple life and the one who roams the streets is just looking for love but the protagonists aren’t humans, but dogs. This adorable short film is the love story between two dogs, Bruno and Juliet. They belong to different worlds, one searches the streets for her next meal while the other lives a lavish life but it’s love that brings them together.

11. Khoon Aali Chhithi (Dir: Rupinder Inderjit)

Starring Manpreet Gill, Jaskamal Gill, Anmol Gill, this short film is set against the backdrop of rising communal tension in Punjab. Here, a lovelorn teenager writes love letters to his beloved in his own blood as she writes back in the same way as well. Their love story is filmy but the tone of the film is not and that is where it grips the viewer.

12. Mumbai Varanasi Express (Dir: Aarti Chabria)

Starring Darshan Jariwala, this story is set near the ghats of Varanasi. When an old man finds out that he doesn’t have much time left, he decides to spend the rest of his days in the holy city. The bustle of the city is juxtaposed with the state of his mind and the result is an engaging story that lets you see everything from the protagonist’s point of view.

13. Khaney Mein Kya Hai? (Dir: Akanksha Seda)

Starring Ayesha Raza Mishra, Shikha Talsania and Swachata Guha, this short film is the story of a mother and daughter. The daughter has just gotten back from her honeymoon and isn’t shy of telling her mother about her experiences with her husband. The mother still believes in the traditional way of doing things. The two use food as a euphemism and exchange their thoughts through food related puns.

14. The School Bag (Dir: Dheeraj Jindal)

Starring Rasika Dugal and Sartaaj RK, this short film is set against the backdrop of the Peshawar attacks of 2014. This is the story of a caring mother who receives a heartbreaking news on her son’s birthday. The film tells the story of innocent victims and the tragedy that they have to face after the radicals spread their terror.

15. In Defence of Freedom (Dir: Nandita Das)

Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, this short film is set in Manto’s classroom. It conveys his philosophy of fearlessness and the courage to speak the truth. This short film can be seen as a precursor to the feature film being directed by Das that also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Here’s hoping for an even more entertaining 2018.