hy is Yash Raj Films (YRF), a production studio synonymous with big budgets and lavish production values, stepping into the short film genre? After all, this is a space that is associated mainly with independent filmmakers more interested in craft and storytelling than commercial success.
The YRF offering, Love Shot s, is a package of six short films and a dramatic departure from the larger-than-life canvas that the film company is most well-known for. These are quieter films from humbler settings, some based on real-life incidents as witnessed by Ashish Patil, CEO of Y Films, the youth wing of YRF, and producer of Love Shots .
Patil, who has also worked on the screenplay with Aparna Nadig, says, “We are known as the house of romance, so we just wanted to take that equity forward into the digital space. We have already been successful with web series. So, we have decided to venture into short films. Airtel has put money where our mouth is. The films will be distributed through our YouTube channel, and through Airtel’s large subscriber base”.
The films — Scandal Point , Fired , The Road Trip , Koi Dekh Lega , The Big Date , and Textbook — were shot in two schedules from December last year to January this year. Durations range between four and 10 minutes. All six films have been directed by Ankur Tewari, former head of content at Pepsi MTV Indies, who co-directed the 2004 film Let’s Enjoy . Tewari is also associated with the band Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family as a singer and songwriter.
A stand-out from the short filmmaking exercise is the cast that’s been put together by YRF’s Casting Director Shanoo Sharma. The actors are a good mix of those who have been seen in mainstream blockbusters as well as indie fare. The first of the shorts that’s online is The Road Trip , starring Nimrat Kaur and Tahir Raj Bhasin ( Kai Po Che ) as a newly married couple grappling with “trust issues.”
Farida Jalal, much loved for her role in YRF’s runaway success Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge , has been paired opposite Kulbhushan Kharbanda in Scandal Point , where they play Mrs and Mr Ghosh, a couple whose passion has not waned with age. Jalal says, “I have been around for decades but this is the most exciting time for me. The idea of telling such beautiful, emotional stories in such a short span is new to me. So is this digital world, which I know very little about. To be working with all these talented young people at this point of time in my career is an honour.”
Lyricist Swanand Kirkire makes his acting debut as a Hindi teacher in Textbook , a light-hearted romance featuring child artistes Shravani Desai and Shubham Tukaram. Music director Salim Merchant makes an acting debut in Fired , opposite Tillotama Shome ( Monsoon Wedding and Qissa ).
Shome, who has also written some of the dialogue for Fired , says, “I have usually thought of myself as an outsider to Bollywood, and big studios. But working on this film was a delightful experience. Since Salim is a musician, he understands the need to listen.” Other actors in the short film series include Saqib Saleem, ( Bombay Talkies and Hawaa Hawaai ), in Koi Dekh Lega , along with Shweta Tripathi, last seen in Masaan . The duo play visually challenged lovers.
Spunky music
Each of the shorts has a corresponding music video, all of which have been directed by Shraddha Pasi Jairath.
Tewari says, “As a director, I was lucky to get the backing of a big studio and a fantastic cast. And as a musician, I am happy that we have been able to get some really spunky, original music for the shorts by Anand Bhaskar, Shaan & Superbia, Gaurav Dagaonkar and Subhi Khanna.”
The films will be released on YouTube, one after the other, every Tuesday. So what’s next? Patil reveals that a short film festival and short film awards are in the works.
See Love Shots on YouTube.com/Yfilms
The author is a freelance writer
Six short films
will be released
on YouTube, one after the other,
every Tuesday
