Back to 20-21

A short low-budget drama from India, written and directed by Ashish Bisht and starring himself, Kanchan Rawat, Anjali Bisht and Shoban Singh Rawat.

The setting is India and the coronavirus pandemic has caused global lockdowns. One man (Ashish Bisht) lives in an apartment with his sister (Anjali Bisht) and his wife, Sapna (Rawat). The three of them are currently in quarantine, waiting. The man spends his time watching the news and being influenced by all the bad news, be it warfare between countries or the pandemic.

Being less keen on a narrative, this film concentrates on the anxiety that the man is going through because of the outbreak, being constantly worried about what might happen. Forced to be in his household, he contemplates the world's current unfortunate situation and when he goes out for some shopping, he is faced with the harshness of sanitising, being cautious not to touch anything.

Numerous films (both short and feature) have been made that deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. This one focuses on how the media affect people, utilising words that cause them to live in fear.

Ashish Bisht's character represents the everyday person who becomes more and more anxious due to the virus and generally because of the negative messages that are communicated to him via news media or other individuals such as the shopkeeper who condemns his apparent irresponsibility when it comes to preventing the disease from spreading. He is a victim of fear generated by the media. His sibling and primarily his partner are more confident and do not let themselves be victims to the effects of news reports and social media.

This short explores how the media can affect people in negative ways, causing them to feel fear, frustration and anxiety and of course, this film is also a commentary about the coronavirus lockdown and what it involves, such as isolation, sanitising and mental health issues.

Another film about the COVId-19 pandemic. This project acknowledges the pcychological effects that outbreaks and the media have on people and this makes it a viewing worthy of attention.