Gone are those days when short films were mere launchpads for beginners! A lot has changed with time and with actors, films have evolved too! With the exciting genres from psychological thrillers to social drama and a giant leap in the formats of screenplay writing and production, short films have made their mark and have gained a lot of recognition lately. Thanks to the qualitative content and extensive reach, noted actors from Hindi cinema have also started taking interest in being a part of this alluring and vibrant world of cinema.

Let’s take a look at some of the best short films, which were supported by the great star power of Hindi Cinema!

Kriti

Directed by well – known Bollywood director Shirish Kunder, Kriti is a dark, psychological thriller produced by Muvizz.com. The short film features some of the greatest actors of Bollywood including Aligarh star Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte with Neha Sharma. Kriti created a buzz amongst audience with its gritty genre, crisp storyline and the captivating performances by these noted actors.

READ: KRITI AND THE CREATION OF INTERNET FILMS

Raakh

The recently released 20-minute short film Raakh marked prominent Bollywood writer-director Milap Zaveri’s debut in the short format. Breaking away from his image of being comedy king, Milap Zaveri has shown a completely different side to his filmmaking. The film has taken the Internet by storm, garnering the fastest ever million views in 24 hours for a short film. Starring Vir Das, Shaad Randhawa and Richa Chadha in pivotal roles, Raakh is an intense, dark and gritty revenge drama. The spine-chilling scenes also have an emotional quotient attached to them.

READ: I HAVE BEEN TYPECAST AS A DIRECTOR OF COMEDY FILMS – MILAP ZAVERI

Interior Café Night

The Naseeruddin Shah starrer short film Interior Café Night has been an intriguing topic of conversation in the film festival circuit. Directed by Adhiraj Bose, this film talks about a second chance at love and is known to leave viewers teary-eyes yet smiling. Along with a veteran actor and powerful performer like Shah, the 12-minute short film also features Shernaz Patel, TVF Pitchers fame Naveen Kasturia, and Shweta Basu Prasad who have delivered outstanding performances. The rave reviews that the film has been receiving reiterate the power of the short format, which only gets better with star performers.

READ: GETTING MORE INTERESTING PARTS NOW THAT I DID AS A YOUNG MAN – NASEERUDDIN SHAH

That Day After Everyday

This 21-minute short film by Anurag Kashyap features Radhika Apte known for her unconventional and captivating performances. A true masterpiece in the world of short films, That day after every day highlights the menace of eve teasing through three women who overcome their helplessness in a bad situation. Also starring Sandhya Mridul, Geetanjali Thapa and Aranya Kaur, the film brings you to a world of emotions amidst thrill.

Ahalya

Radhika Apte could well be the queen of the short film world! Another feather in her cap is her performance in the Bengali thriller drama short called Ahalya, directed by Sujoy Ghosh. The film takes you to the world of magic, thrill and strange things that will leave you bewildered. Ahalya also stars Bengali actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Tota Roy Chowdhury in lead roles. With a director as brilliant as Sujoy Ghosh, a power packed star cast and the beauty of Bengal, it doesn’t get any better.

READ: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO MAKE A FILM THAT WILL ENTERTAIN MY AUDIENCE – SUJOY GHOSH

Mama’s Boys

Dellhi Belly writer Akshat Verma’s hilarious spin on the Mahabharata, Mama’s Boys is trending and for all the good reasons. The 16 minutes of this short film transports the complicated status of Draupadi and the Pandavas to 2016 with some amazing effects. The film assembles the funkiest cast including Aditi Rao Hydari as modern Draupadi, Neena Gupta as Kunti, Arunoday Singh as Bheem, Amol Parashar as the hapless Arjun and Akshay Oberoi as Yudishthir. This short film takes one to the trail of a Punjabi Mahabharata generously sprinkled with humor and drama.

Taandav

The duo of director Devashish Makhija and actor Manoj Bajpayee managed to hit the nail on the head by realistically showcasing the life of a head constable (essayed by Manoj) who is torn between the righteous call of duty and the dark path of dishonesty. The short film premiered in February and has crossed over 110K likes on Facebook creating buzz over other social media platforms as well. The fact that Manoj Bajpayee never fails to impress his audience cannot be questioned. With so many projects, it can clearly be said that Manoj Bajpayee is ruling the world of short films as well.

Ouch

Few actors take up roles that explore the midlife crisis of an average Indian male as frequently as Manoj Bajpayee. In Neeraj Pandey’s new short film Ouch, The Aligarh star is seen playing a middle aged married man who is trying to battle between the domestic front and the puddle of the forbidden. Bajpayee, with his ingenious touches, makes this an endearing film. Pandey understands the gift of his lead actor and designs the 14-minute film around him.

Nayantara’s Necklace

Konkana Sensharma and Tillotama Shome play two diametrically opposite characters who forge an unexpected friendship in Jaydeep Sarkar’s short film Nayantara’s Necklace. Made by the makers of Ahalya, the film sees the two talented ladies deliver one of the most power packed performances of their lives.  It might be a short film but the fact that it is so realistic and has such a hard-hitting story, makes it stand out of the box. With such a beautifully driven story and a dynamic star-cast and direction, this film is surely one of a kind.

Guitar

Directed by Aatish Dabral, Guitar features Prateik Babbar in the lead role of a guitarist. The Guitar is an effort towards bringing content to the audience that would fill them up with positivity and restore their faith in the eternal spirit of humanity. Prateik, who has been missing from the silver screen for a while, has made the right use of this rising platform to make a comeback with a performance that is being highly appreciated.

You can also enjoy short films like Bypass by Amit Kumar featuring Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayaee and Raveena Tandon in Thank You by Vinay Jaiswal and Migration by Mira Nair starring Raima Sen. This is a great time for short films and what has made them really special is the active participation of Bollywood stars who dare to stand out and present a whole new level of cinema in India.

Have we missed out on any movie? Do let us know in the comments below.

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