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★★★ Stars
Directed by: #SujeethChitrala
Written by: #SujeethChitrala
Starring: #KarthikPrakki, #Rithika, #SujeethChitrala
Ajay Rana shows the story of a social media addicted teenager (Karthik Prakki) as the digital world consumes his reality, ruining the connections he once had with friends and family. The plot builds up to a climactic conclusion of how he eventually breaks himself away from his digital devices after a tragic incident occurs due to his own carelessness.
Written and directed by Sujeeth Chitrala, the events that unravel are in touch with our current situation regarding social media and technology, making the concept appealing to all audiences – whether that be teenagers who can relate to the main character or the older generation who understand the struggles that are occurring within that subject. The film sends a valuable message to young people in particular as they see the future most feared clearly depicted in front of them; a complete detachment from face-to-face relationships and communication. Although the peak of the film may be seen as an extreme situation to experience due to an undivided focus on social media, it presents a brilliant shock factor to viewers.
Linking with the modern approach in the overall plot, the editing style also gasps a present sense. With editing by Nagesh Pulkurthy, it immediately captivates viewers with exciting, advanced techniques as well as beautiful colouring. This attractive sight is not lost as the film progresses either, it only gets better as the short continues until its ending point.
This short film’s editing is an amazing feature in itself but, when paired with the beautiful cinematography, the film really does become a form of a ‘feast for the eyes.’ The cinematography (by Jeevan) is possibly even more captivating than the editing style – wonderful panning shots of landscapes as well as more detailed shots of house settings and small gatherings of friends on the streets. The crew chose pleasing settings to shoot this short film in general, and the director of photography simply enhanced those surroundings with great finesse.
The acting of each cast member is enjoyable, each character having a considerable amount of personality and emotion for the audience to begin to create bonds with through the camera lens. Some actors seemed quite inexperienced as their movements appear almost forced and didn’t match the environment being created by the script, but that raw approach to their roles did not negatively impact the film; their work can still be highly praised.
Ajay Rana is an altogether impressive and agreeable short film. It is obvious, as an audience member, that the cast and crew took pride in this film and the message that it holds; I admire such enthusiasm and tenacity.
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