Hyderabad: The Disha gangrape and murder case has opened floodgates for filmmakers to shoot short films of 10-15 minutes duration — some of them running upto 45 minutes — in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. While each filmmaker tried to give a message, the central theme of the short films was primarily based on the ‘instant justice’ rendered by police to the four accused in the case.
The short films are now a rage on Youtube with more number of viewers watching them. Some filmmakers like the one from Karimnagar even took liberties to alter the climax.
Some others, however, took a tough stand against encounters. “Encounters are not the solution. It is true that everyone craves for instant gratification. But, eliminating criminals in what is called instant justice will not put an end to menace,” opined film writer-director-actor Gayathri Gupta.
Psychologist Veerender Chennoju said films with a message calling for ‘instant justice’ would certainly appeal. “But, what is worrying is the fact that it is not just youth who are influenced by films, adults and seniors and those in big positions also lauding instant justice. This is a cause for concern,” he said.
In one short film, a schoolgirl is followed by some youngsters with an evil intention. Realising this, the girl stops and show them a photograph of a police officer and warns them to stay away. “The photograph is that of Cyberabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar for whom the film is dedicated,” the filmmaker said.
Another filmmaker chose to have a different theme in his film. When a person and his friends are about to kidnap a girl whose two-wheeler gets punctured, he gets a call on his mobile. “I am alone and my vehicle tyre has got punctured. I need help,” the female voice on the phone tells him. The caller is his sister. That is when the man has a change of heart and tells his friends that he would not like to see his sister in the same situation as to what they were about to do to a girl in front of them.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Sushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyde...
Read MoreSushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyderabad. He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad from where he did his post-graduation from. He has been with The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition since its launch in 2000. He has also done an introductory course in film studies from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and also from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. He has authored four books. In his career spanning 34 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting. He was also a web journalist during internet’s infancy in the mid 1990s in India. He covers defence, politics, diaspora, innovation, administration, the film industry, Hyderabad city and Telangana state, and human interest stories. He is also a podcaster, blogger, does video reporting and makes documentaries.
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