Who Are You, Nanu?

A moving short film written and directed by Anjini Taneja Azhar and starring Jyothi Janath, Kabir Pahwa, Suchitra Pillai, Shaurya Tyagi and Avinash Razdan.

Shot along the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India and under challenging circumstances, this short was created thanks to the collaboration between British Airways, Indian businessman Ness Wadia, former Ferrari Formula 1 Racer Jacques Lafitte, Trifilm Studios and Shore Scripts.

Just explaining that ''Nanu'' means Grandfather in Hindi.

The film begins with young girl, Isha (Janath) attending her late grandfather's ceremonial cremation at the Ganges River. A short while later, she encounters a little boy her age (Pahwa) who claims to be a much younger version of her grandpa. The two of them end up going on a journey together, contemplating the past and strengthening their bond.

This project was inspired by the life of the director's grandfather and the result is a film that starts off as a story about loss, before turning into an otherwordly journey about connection. The main emphasis is the rapport that develops between Isha and her grandfather (his spirit apparently) that ends up being a chance for both of them to get to know each other and form a connection that can never be broken.

The mise-en-scene is impressive and interesting, particularly during a sort of dream sequence that involves Isha finding herself on the moon (she is told that when people pass away, they go to the moon), in the middle of ruins and on a large tree, threatened by a snake. Azhar does a great job with the directing, bringing the screenplay to life with well-executed shots and Alex Winkler provides significant contribution with the beautiful music.

As the main protagonist, Isha is a simple girl who wishes she had known her grandfather better and she gets the opportunity to make her wish come true, learning more about him, herself and life in general. Pillai and Tyagi are sympathetic as Isha's loving parents. Pahwa plays the most intriguing character, a child version of a recently deceased elderly man, a boy with the maturity of an adult. Interestingly, Pahwa's character is the only one who speaks in Hindi.

With a story that explores the afterlife, this short is a commentary about grief, self-reflection, reminiscing the past and the significance of connection. The main message appears to be that people who pass away will always be with the ones they love.

This film is about loss, about losing someone and finding them again and being with them forever. It is a journey and a family drama and a very personal project that tells a story that is sad but also uplifting as it indicates that death does not separate people. And it pays tribute to the extraordinary life of the director's grandfather.