Cutting a long story short

Catch three acclaimed short films on Thursday at the National Film Archives of India,as Arbhaat Short Film Club hosts its first film screening and discussion at 6.30 pm. The film club,run by Umesh Kulkarni and Girish Kulkarni,will be inaugurated on April 18 by Shimit Amin,the director of movies such as Chak De and Rocket Singh. The club’s meet will also feature a special ceremony to felicitate members of the film fraternity such as director Shivaji Lotan Patil (Dhag),actor Usha Jadhav (Dhag),director Vikrant Pawar (Kaatal) and cinematographer Abhimanyu Dange. Three short films will be screened at the opening – Mani Kaul’s acclaimed Before My Eyes,and National Award-winning films Three of Us by Umesh Kulkarni and Kaatal by Vikrant Pawar. Before My Eyes was originally made to promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Mani Kaul,who hails from a Kashmiri Pandit family,gives a haunting depiction of the valley. His movie is recognised as on of the greatest landscape films,giving an honest and private peek into the enigmatic Jammu and Kashmir. Three of Us won a National Award for direction by Umesh Kulkarni,and tells the story of an unusual family in which the 40-year-old son is disabled and completely depends on his parents for survival. He reads the newspaper by holding a magnifying glass by his toes. His parents feed him,wash him and care for him with what seems like love and harmony. But is the family really happy? Vikrant Pawar’s Kaatal,which also recently won a National Award for direction is about a couple who spend their last moments together in knowledge that they must soon part. It is a glimpse into relationships and equations and how distance can or cannot affect them. After the screenings,Kaatal’s team will host a discussion with the audience. Apart from the opening night,the film club will meet at NFAI on the first Thursday of every month,screening specially curated short films from across the world and the country,selected by a committee with some the country’s best film talent. Annual memberships can be signed up for at the Arbhaat Nirmitee office on Karve Road.