There is no doubt that short films are often limited by their runtimes, but a lot of them also carry the potential to convey messages much stronger than most feature length movies. You can count on Amazon Mini TV to bring movies with a deep underlying meaning, which we often fail to notice. One such short film, “Shameless”, was released on 7th April and it captures the rawest of human emotions. This short film has also been Oscar Nominated since 2020, so the wait has been a long one. Starring Sayani Gupta as Bharti and Hussain Dalal as Praveen Chadda in the main roles, this 15 minute short film is definitely worth a watch!
The film begins with a clear distinction between the protagonist and the antagonist but towards the end, it becomes difficult for you to pick even sides. Although I cannot give any hints about the film, it plays with the intricate web of human insecurities and how they play out in social situations and real life. Each one of us has insecurities, but not everyone feels its presence in a negative light. It takes a trigger for these insecurities to come to light for one to understand how it affects them personally and socially.
Sayani Gupta as a food delivery agent picked the nuances of the character, right from the helplessness to the fear of authorities. Her expressions and a constant sense of tension on her face was pretty evident and relatable to that of many others. In the initial few minutes of this film, my heart went out for her because of the story but the end was sudden and it does not allow the audiences to get a good closure from the story.
Hussain Dalal as Praveen Chadda seemed like he embodied a human from today’s time – filled with insecurities and fear of social judgment. It looks easy to live with insecurities but people cripple with fear and go to lengths to hide it. With this, they might cut ties with the outside world and become so full of their own meekness that it gets very difficult to live with themselves. Although I felt like Praveen was the antagonist initially, I understood and could even relate to him in a short span of 15 minutes
The cinematography is very basic and homely- like a normal day in any of our lives, so that the audiences can relate to it. The dialogues of the film play a major role in conveying the current story as well as the backstory of both Bharti and Praveen. Within 15 minutes, we as an audience understand the entire storyline and could even relate to it. This is what we call a good plot and a brilliant execution. The dialogue delivery also plays an important role and the hesitance with which Sayani Gupta says her dialogues here, makes the audiences root for her. The rude brat, Praveen conveyed his emotions and verbal abuse well but when talking about his insecurities, it felt like a vulnerable moment.
Hierarchy is such a huge concept in today’s world and as much as we try to deny it, there always exists an unsaid hierarchy in all of our lives. The distinction between the one who places an order and the one who delivers is a vast one and the communication between these two says it all. With the advent of technology, everything is available on our fingertips but we often forget who gets it from the store to our tips. Considering people as “lesser human beings” does not categorize them into any category but reflects on one’s own character. Empathy does not rise out of standards and status, but out of humanity itself. This concept has been phenomenally ideated and executed by director Keith Gomes in “Shameless”. It is very important to shine light on what people would generally consider irrelevant because this is where we can learn to be better humans.
You can watch “Shameless” on Amazon MINI TV.
