Diploma Film List & Synopses 2015

Just Another Day (23 min) by Ajinkya Kulthe

There are certain rhythms that exist in an urban environment which are perceptually dynamic. These rhythms lend a certain character to a neighborhood in the city. These vibrant rhythms produce and enhance something static-the sense of a place, because they are already embedded in it and are an intimate part of its composition. The film encounters and invites you to participate in the everyday tempo of spaces and life around us that we more often than not, fail to experience.

Some Questions Hanging (25 min) by Amit Jain

We, as a collective people of our nation state, believe we stand united in upholding all that our highest judiciary lays out for us. But every time the hangman’s noose is readied, the case for and against capital punishment springs up for animated debate. The burning questions hang unanswered: Does it warrant taking a life in the name of our collective conscience, to validate draconian laws that suit our own conveniences? Who bears the responsibility for hanging an innocent person, in the name of justice for all?

Raj (23 min) by Amrita Patil

The film is about the world of comic books, in this case Raj comics, the pioneer production house of superhero culture in India. Starting in the eighties, Raj comics crossed several stages in order to become what it is. The film records the accounts of five people deeply entrenched in the culture of comic books, namely a collector cum body-builder, a seller, an artist, an ex-fan and the creator of Raj himself, Sanjay Gupta. Through the director’s own triggers of memories of the days bygone, the film tries to trace the transformation of a pocket book series into a whole movement that changed lives of the fans in more than one way. With the advent of technology making entertainment more accessible, the print media also had to go through a transformation of its own. The film is not just about the comics but also different people related to them, in one way or another, people that make the comic culture in India what it is. And it certainly goes to say that without these, there would be no comic culture as we know it today.

Maadhyam (21 min) by Daksh Punj

This is an observational film that explores the journey of waste through a Kabardiwala while looking at the contrast between the neighborhood where he lives and the neighborhood where he works. It also looks at the process and scale of waste collection, hence reflecting on the range and plethora of products that surround us.

Bauji (22 min) by Lakshay Bhuttani

The film is about the relationship between a grandfather and a grandson. It encapsulates the memories of decades of change and re-presents the experiences that have influenced him and his family in unique ways. The making of the film becomes a way for the filmmaker to familiarize himself with moments of his grandfather’s past that have shaped his life and vision.

Qila Aparajit / The Fort Undefeated (23 min) by Manur Raj Katyal

Some children live in a Night Shelter close to Jama Masjid. Living with them in their world and experiencing their life situations closely is the path that the film moves on. Also, an exploration of the Red Fort and its history adds to this journey by making us think about the children’s connection with this monument. By offering us a way of looking at the children’s lives and their relationship to a historical monument, the films ends up raising some questions for us to think about.

From the Shadows / Chaaya (24 min) by Nundrisha Wakhloo

The filmmaker finds, in some places and people in Mehrauli, a canvas of internal and external spaces. She explores various elements of the physical and psychological that prevail in our society, elements that shape our fundamental ways of being. What are the expressions of desire, longing, pain, grief, belief, strength and joy- the complexities that possess this known – unknown world?

Capital (17 min) by Shubham Bhattacharya

The film observes the metropolis of Delhi through its endless cycle of production and consumption. It is a journey through the ebb and flow of social and personal disconnects produced by a dystopian city that is inflicted by rapid urbanization and a hyper consumerist economy.

The Fairy Tale (19 min) by Sudha Mehta

A conceptual film, The Fairy Tale deals with the notion that we’re all children at heart, when it comes down to it. Our attitudes, opinions, confusions and dilemmas have their roots in our foundations – schools, toy stores and the streets of our neighbourhoods. The film explores the idea of gender roles and identity through these locations as well as popular cultural icons like comic books and films.