alexjames96
- Sep 30, 2022
- 2 min read

Insane Short Film Review

★★★

Directed by: #SnehaKarar and #SouranilSingha

Insane is an interesting short film which leaves the audience in the dark for a large majority of the narrative. The film begins in the back streets of India, the camera slowly moving though the small alleyways, highlighting the poverty of the neighbourhood. This was crucial to note as it helps us to understand a little more about the character and his day-to-day life. This short film acts as a confession video for a young boy called Bijit Bhattacharya, a timid quiet man who has endured a lot of hardship. Now, he is finally revealing to the world these sufferings and exposes a dark secret…

We are soon presented with our main character, but his face is hidden as he takes his time to prepare some tea and listen to the radio. The process of him preparing the tea is slow, detailed, and methodical, as if he were stalling and making every minute of this moment count. Bijit shuffles to another room and sets up a camera to record himself. This is the first time the audience are fully exposed to the characters appearance. The constant buzzing of a fly echoes throughout the room, yet the character is unbothered by the noise and proceeds to carry on with his confession, taking big gulps of his tea as he speaks.

With just 30% battery power left on the camera, Bijit shares his story. His voice and demeanour reveal no emotion, he looks cold and distant, as if incapable of forming any kind of connection with the audience or for whoever comes across this tape. Our protagonist begins to tell his traumatic story to the camera, he has no job and never truly exceled in education, a girlfriend who has left him and is now married to another man, his father’s business is unsuccessful, and a stroke has left him bedridden. Bijit’s life is a series of misfortunes, completely deprived of any form of kindness or good fortune in life. Actor Debopriyo Sadhukhan portrays this empty shell of a man, emotionless because of the brutalities of his life causing him to have this hard exterior which made it very difficult for the audience to foresee the climactic end for Bijit which seems to be brooding in the background.

I will not uncover the dramatic twist to the story, but it was one which I did not expect and gave this short that shock factor it needed. However, this revelation was introduced quite late meaning the short was extremely slow in pace and made it difficult at times to remain invested in the story and character. Regardless, it was the dramatic end which pushes you to look back on the character’s movements and manner to then realise that all was not as it seemed to be from the very start.