MUMBAI : The coronavirus-induced lockdown and social distancing introduced many changes to our lives. While our consumption of films and shows on OTT platforms increased, the creators also started experimenting with ways to make content. Over the past few months, many artists have made shows and short films entirely at home with a minimum crew, while also employing unique storytelling ideas.
Voot Select’s latest The Gone Game is one such show. If you appreciate innovation in content, you must check out these shows and short films that were made at home.
1. A Viral Wedding (Eros Now)
Written and directed by Shreya Dhanwantary, this show follows a bride who is about to get married in three weeks, but the lockdown comes into effect, and all her plans go for a toss. Apart from the story, the show carried a lot of public service announcements, as was the need of the hour. This was a novel concept at the time and felt like a sincere effort from the creators’ end. Watching a virtual wedding felt far fetched back then but who knew that this was going to be our new normal.
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2. Home Stories (Netflix India on YouTube)
Home Stories is a collection of four mini-movies that were all shot during the lockdown with social distancing in place. The four stories, involving a man who is anxious about stepping out, a couple whose one-night-stand turns into a forced live-in, a delivery executive during the lockdown and a lockdown wedding, offer an escape from the isolated world, and the small snippet at the end gives an insight into the coordination that it took to pull Home Stories off.
3. Banana Bread (Terribly Tiny Tales on YouTube)
Banana Bread featuring Rasika Dugal and Mukul Chadha is a short film exploring the loneliness of two isolated neighbours who are trying really hard to strike a friendship. The awkward silences are so perfectly placed that you can’t help but feel a strange discomfort for them. The threat of coronavirus is on their mind at all times and manages to stay there until the end.
4. The Relationship Manager (Large Short Films on YouTube)
This short film starring Divya Dutta and Annup Sonii is based on the subject of domestic violence during lockdown. The film opens on the 76th day of the lockdown. While Relationship Manager Annup is still serving his customers telephonically with a smile, things are harsh at Divya’s end. The film’s message is certainly strong, but in terms of driving the point home, the storytelling falls short.
5. Metro Park Quarantine Edition (Eros Now)
The first season of the Eros Now show was made under regular circumstances, but soon after the lockdown, the makers came up with a quarantine edition exploring the lives of residents of this neighbourhood during coronavirus. The short episodes here are fun and capture the essence of those early days of the lockdown quite well.
6. Locked in Love (Hungama Play)
This anthology series by Hungama Play featured Rohit Bose Roy and Manasi Joshi Roy in the lead roles. The series had five short love stories that all tried to showcase a different side of love. The stories were shot in one house, but from a story point of view, some of them lacked imagination as they head towards a predictable end. Nevertheless, this was a novel effort.
7. Bhanwar (ZEE5)
This web series starring Karanvir Bohra is based on the concept of time travel. In an earlier interview, Bohra mentioned that this was entirely shot in his building and with minimum crew in place. From an aesthetic standpoint, the show looks quite sleek, but as far as the story is concerned, Bhanwar tries to be way too smart for its own sake.
SOURCE – THE INDIAN EXPRESS
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