Theatre director releases remotely-shot short film

During the Covid-19 confinement, many homebound artistes ventured into the online space – some had live shows on social media, while others went on to experiment with the nuances of technology to make films and even plays online. New on the block is film and theatre maker Prataya Saha’s short, titled .
Crafted through remote access, the 4-minute film, featuring actress Moumi Guha, is about a young woman who finds herself trapped in an incompatible marriage.A victim of physical abuse, her story resonates with the plight of thousands of women across the world, who are oppressed, but are still unable to come forward because of stigma, hurt and shame. The narrative is a dialogue between the oppressor and the oppressed, with an unlikely twist in the end.

The result of a collaboration in the virtual world, the short is filmed in a span of 18 hours. “Shooting a film through Zoom calls is not easy. There were a lot of technical glitches, apart from power outages and poor internet connectivity. But the crisis that we have been going through makes it worth the effort. Until the time we can showcase our work at auditoriums and cinema halls again, the digital world is our stage. And we will strive to get better at it each time,” says Prataya. ‘Slapped’ is currently competing at Shorted’s lockdown film challenge.

A Red Polka production, this is the latest offering of the Bengaluru-based artistes’ collective that has recently released a digital version of their play, Chitraa, and has also been in the news for their award-winning short film,