The Scheme of It

A short drama thriller written and directed by Babatdor Dkhar and starring Faith Kharshiing and Ardent Syngkon.

The story takes place in Shillong, in the north-east of India and a young woman (Kharshiing) has been invited to attend a job interview. She arrives at the office and is greeted by a man (Syngkon). Almost immediately, it becomes evident that this meeting is not what she anticipated.

The narrative is intriguing, working primarily as a thriller, with the man having intentions that are clearly not good, winking at the woman, asking her if she likes to party and then things move on to the so-called job, which turns out to be some sort of illegal pyramid scheme. The atmosphere is quite suspenseful and sinister and supported by an ominous score. The addition of the song Prism by Theatre of Delays was an interesting choice that adds value to this short.

The entirety of the story takes place inside the office and Kharshiing and Syngkon's characters are the only two people seen. Kharshiing's character is a simple, nice young person, who is also cautious regarding what is going on, as she instantly feels uncomfortable and questions the nature of the 'job' that is being discussed. Syngkon's character is the bad guy in this story, a dishonest and creepy guy who is trying to get people involved in some sort of hustle and seems to regard women in sexual ways. By utilising point-of-view shots of him, viewers can feel the uneasiness that the woman if going through while she is alone with him.

The film begins with a statement that this is probably a true story as it was inspired by events that take place all around the world. This might be misinterpreted by some viewers, it might give the wrong message. This short was clearly made with the intention of being a commentary about illegal schemes that people are being manipulated to get involved in and the manipulator can be either a man or a woman (or both). However, to some, it might misrepresent men, giving the impression that men tend to look at women with sexual thoughts.

Hopefully, people will not misunderstand the messages that this film is attempting to communicate. This is an intriguing viewing that raises awareness of events that involve people being tricked into commititng fraud through fake job interviews and for that it deserves attention.