Short Film Adda

If you are a film buff then Short Film Adda is the place to be. Watch handpicked shorts and discuss with the crew about what all went behind making them. Meet, greet and interact with filmmakers and fellow filmlovers.

This edition is even more special as it is a Short Film Adda Premiere in association with Bandra Film Festival.

Ages: 12+

Please take your seats by 5: 45 PM.

Over A Cup Of Chai

Synopsis - Nitya (Dalai) surprises her mom, Saira (Ratna Pathak Shah) on a lazy Sunday. As the mother-daughter exchange pleasantries, it is obvious there are undercurrents causing tension between the duo. Tensions further escalate when Nitya`s partner, Aryan (Danesh Razvi) arrives, unaware of the conflict between Nitya and Saira. Will Saira and Nitya be able to forgive each other? Was Nitya`s surprise hiding something important? Will Saira move on from the past? Over A Cup of Chai explores these uneasy dynamics, and hopes to leave the audience with feeling empathy for these characters. The film wishes to celebrate the triumph of love over hate and conflict. 

Duration - 17 mins

Language - English/Hindi 

Director’s bio - Anvita Brahmbhatt is a writer/filmmaker, photographer, and creative producer. A recent graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in Film and TV Production and a minor in Business in Entertainment, Media, and Technology, Anvita enjoys writing and exploring family, human connection, loneliness, loss and coming-of-age themes in her works. Her first short film, The Documented Indian (2021) was selected at the London lift-off film festival. The film explored the unique ways two siblings voice dissent and a conversation about humanity prevailing (set during the 2019 CAA protests in India). Her latest short, Over A Cup of Chai, explores an unconventional mother-daughter, and premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival. 

Usher:

Synopsis-  Baldev works as an usher at a roadside eatery. Waving his red light baton he signals the passing vehicles to stop at the eatery for a quick bite. He returns late in the night to a wife and two children in a nearby village. His light baton is a source of constant delight to his children. They escape into the world of fantasy every night on the terrace, after the parents are asleep. On a fateful evening, the father meets with an accident and the material truth of the light baton is revealed to the children.

Duration: 14 minutes 57 seconds

Language: Punjabi

Director: Zubin A. Mehta

Director’s bio- Zubin A. Mehta began his journey in theatre as a child actor in 1993. He traveled extensively across Punjab, India, collaborating with amateur theatre groups and performing in numerous plays in various Indian languages. As he grew older, his passion for the stage flourished, and he continued to act in theatre productions. At the age of 19, Mehta ventured into directing plays for children and later founded Wings Theatre Academy in Chandigarh, India. For over 12 years, the academy has been dedicated to nurturing young talent, providing theatre training for children and young adults. The academy has staged acclaimed productions such as Arthur Miller`s Death of a Salesman, Ayn Rand`s The Night of January Sixteenth, an adaptation of Majid Majidi`s Children of Heaven, and Tracy Letts` August: Osage County, among others. In addition to directing, Mehta has also penned original plays, including The Last Kick, Fireball in a Ramlila Maidaan, The Troubled Trio, and Chinar, showcasing his versatility as a playwright. Driven by a deepening interest in cinema, Mehta taught himself the art of filmmaking. His debut feature, Bus No. 7, was officially selected for prestigious festivals such as the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival. His latest short film, The Usher, premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

Yaan:

Synopsis- YAAN unfolds in rural India, where Sukhram, a terminally ill farmer, is denied an ambulance—another victim of greed, corruption, and a system that values profit over people. With no means left, his family builds a fragile, makeshift vehicle to carry him to the nearest hospital miles away. Their arduous journey across broken roads and human apathy becomes a haunting reflection of survival and dignity amid despair. While the nation celebrates its triumphant Mars mission, Sukhram’s family battles for a few miles of life on earth. The film juxtaposes the brilliance of technological success with the darkness of social neglect, questioning what progress truly means in a land where reaching a hospital can be harder than reaching Mars. Through its meditative pace and powerful soundscape, YAAN becomes a cry for empathy in a time of misplaced pride.

Duration:   10 Minutes 8 Sec

Language: Malwi 

Director:  Satish Sharmma

Director`s Bio- Satish Sharmma is a distinguished actor, director, and producer whose career in cinema spans over two decades. With a strong presence across Indian and international projects, Satish has built a reputation for his versatility, professionalism, and commitment to meaningful storytelling. As an actor, he has appeared in several critically acclaimed Hindi, regional, and international films, as well as in over 450 television commercials for Indian and global brands. Parallelly, he has produced and line-produced numerous international films and large-scale co-productions, establishing himself as a trusted creative and logistical force in the industry. Satish made his directorial debut with YAAN, a non-feature film that won the National Award for Best Sound Design at the 70th National Film Awards. The film, praised for its poignant storytelling and cinematic realism, continues to travel across international film festivals and is recognized for its social relevance and artistic vision. He recently line-produced Mujib – The Making of a Nation, a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman directed by Shyam Benegal, an Indo–Bangladesh co-production between NFDC and BFDC. The trailer premiered at Cannes 2022 and the film was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), before becoming a historic box-office success in Bangladesh. Other key credits include Aisa Yeh Jahaan (Co-Producer), Khuda Haafiz, Akelli, Akaash Vani, and several international co-productions shot across Uzbekistan, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan.

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