12 SHORTS AND A FILM

12 SHORTS AND A FILM 

  It’s a celebration of short films, but it comes together as a feature. It’s being helmed by three established directors, but features 12 unknown short filmmakers from around the country; it’s a mystery with a dead body, but we don’t know if it’s a murder mystery and analyses human emotions and relationships. The film, called The Last Act, a Royal Stag Mega Movies Large Short Films presentation, is India’s first collaborative feature film as part of the brand’s Large Short Films initiative. The initiative was flagged off with an announcement inviting aspiring filmmakers to be a part of India’s first ‘collab feature’,
which will be premiered on 12.12.12 and released on December 14 — 12 directors from 12 Indian cities, with 12 short films of 10 minutes each, all part of a larger story. PVR is the release partner for the film.
    Anurag Kashyap, Sudhir Mishra and Chakri Toleti are the three directors associated with this project who have chosen the 12 directors. The main plot was written by Anurag. Here’s what Anurag and Sudhir had to say about the experience....
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    The date, 12.12.12, sounded perfect to celebrate the spirit of making it large,” says Anurag. “Coming once in 89 years, this date was perfect to bring together some of the best upcoming talent in India. Putting them together in one project that wasn’t just short films... it’s a unique concept.”
    A dead body is central to the plot, but when asked why he chose a murder mystery, Anurag says, “Who said it’s a murder mystery? It’s a mystery... doesn’t mean there has to be a murder. There are 12 layers in the film, and then some more, in each film.”
    Anurag says that the consumption of short films is only growing at this point. “I’ve always supported short films. Short films are far more difficult to make than full-length films. And with digicams and phone cameras, everybody is a filmmaker. Short films are the perfect way to tell a story from your heart. It doesn’t depend on camera work, music, technicalities... just the strength of the story you want to tell.” He says that corporates are investing in shorts, “and it’s necessary because Indie filmmakers, young storytellers, do not have the support of large production houses. If such projects work honestly towards nurturing such talent, we will unearth a treasure in India. And the bigger the audience, the more attractive it will become for advertisers... and the larger the growth.” Of all the platforms for short films, he predicts that mobiles will emerge as the biggest in the future. “Mobiles are the biggest. The fact that we now have access to the best of films on the internet… the audience is not happy with whatever three-hour trash we offer. It has to be spellbinding,” he says.
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Jyothi Prabhakar Any particular reason why this is a murder mystery?
A mystery is always enticing. And it’s not just a murder mystery. It is a story of how a single incident unravels many mysteries. It could be murder. It might not be.
Have you seen a rise in the popularity of short films in the recent past? If yes, what makes you say that? Where’s the demand for short films coming from? How long do you travel in Mumbai? We travel at least two hours every day in trains, buses, autos and cars. But we still want to be entertained. Short films offer the greatest relief from mundane moments. They are like fast food. Spicy. Snacky. It satisfies you for the moment, and leaves you wanting more.
Who are the major sponsors/consumers driving this growth of short films? There are all kinds of companies and brands. Even production houses have got into the fray. It is the entertainment of the future. The younger generation lacks patience and short films appease them. Royal Stag Mega Movies is creating a two-way platform to showcase talent and popularise this medium. Because it’s just not enough to make a film... one also needs the machinery to promote it.
If these short films aren’t always for mass release, who is commissioning them? Where all are short films being used/commissioned in India that you know of? Festivals. There is a huge circuit of short films festivals across the country that showcase these short films. There is a growing community that is networking through Facebook, etc. They talk to each other. They encourage. They share ideas. They create a large enough audience to make these films viable. Today, they might not be economically viable, but the ripples are being felt.

A still from The Last Act

Anurag Kashyap

Sudhir Mishra