Director Taher Ali Baig’s short film Fitrat, starring Sudhanshu Panday and Rajit Kapur, has been winning hearts. The film, which has been produced by Sudhanshu Pandey, has been part of 40 official selections and nominations in festivals such as Goa Short Film Festival, Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival, World Film Carnival – Singapore, Intentional Short Film Festival of India as well as the official selection for the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020. Taher, who is known for his work in theatre says that directing a short film was a very different but enriching experience. “Theatre and cinema are two very different mediums. Theatre is a live experience that the audience and performers take home. Every theatre performance is different from the previous show. The film is forever etched on the screen. The reach of cinema is wider while theatre is a more intimate medium,” he says.
Talking about the future of the short film genre, Taher says, “There is a major dispersal underway from traditional television to OTT platforms. The audience is consuming a lot of content on their phones and from the comfort of their living rooms. The future is bright for short films.”
However, the director adds that content and storyline is still paramount, irrespective of the medium. “The content of a story and style of storytelling decides the length of a short film. One can choose to express with impact in shorter duration or in a feature film format. Irrespective of the duration, a film has a lot of other elements with the screenplay being at the centre. Attention is paid to sound, music, lighting, camera angles, and editing. Every director’s style is unique,” he says.
