Anuja

A young girl and her younger sister try to raise money for the latter to attend an exam for a scholarship admission.

Anuja (Pathan) is a child who lives with her older sister, Palak (Shanbhag) in Delhi, India. The two of them live in poverty and work long hours at a garment factory, owned by the egocentric Mr Verma (Bhonsle). Verma has Anuja working for him illegally and one day, Mr Mishra (Walia), an educator, arrives at the factory with the intention of persuading Anuja to take part in an exam that will get her into boarding school. The test is scheduled to take place shortly and the two siblings must raise money for the participation fee. While they do so, Anuja must decide what it is that she wants.

The actress that plays the titular character was rescued from the streets of Delhi and now resides in a Salamm Baalak center. The video that accompanies the closing credits shows her viewing the film, along with other children. Evidently, this short drama raises awareness of child poverty in India and promotes the Salaam Baalak Trust, a non-profit organisation whose goal is to improve the lives of underpriviledged children in Delhi.

From one perspective, this short drama is about two young girls on a mission to make things better for themselves and they embark on a journey that involves selling bags in order to pay for the exam participation fee, being chased by a security guard and enjoying themselves with food and cinema. Sisterhood is a theme here, as the strong bond between Anuja and Palak is quite evident and Palak cares deeply for her little sister and wants her to move up in life (It is worth mentioning that the film highlights Palak's cleverness). Poverty and hardship are also major here, as the two heroines are poor and stuck in a job where they are treated unfairly and the film begins with Palak narrating a sad story about injustice. However, regardless of their circumstances, the two girls remain strong and optimistic, probably and primarily because they have each other's support.

In some ways, Verma's character is the antagonist and he seems to epitomise corruption and cruelty. A rude, selfish, manipulative and disrespectful man, he is willing to utilise Anuja's mathematical skills for his own benefit without a care or thought regarding the child's best interests.

The filmmakers make good use of slow motion and Graves and Krushan Naik do a great job with the editing, particularly when dissolve techniques are utilised.

Regarding the audio, the beautiful and dramatic music by Fabrizio Mancinelli significantly enhances the viewing experience.

This short is a commentary on child poverty and child labour in India and it attracts attention to the work of the Salaam Baalak Trust. Storywise, it is a drama about two siblings struggling with life and pursuing a goal that will potentially change the life of one of them. It is a story about struggle, support, moving on to better things and making life-changing decisions and it deserves recognition.