RIFF 08, 2022, 14: Synopses of films screened, Part II

(24) Film Name : Chhipkali

Director : Koushik Kar

Beyond our materialistic world, there lies an unexplored dimension, where a series of incidents occur but they surpass our conscious mind. Based on this context, our story revolves around an interrogative conversation between a detective and a suspect regarding a murder case. This story challenges our conscious mindset, outlook towards the perceptible world, our society, its norms and the entire judiciary. It questions our limited understanding of the world, our misconceptions about life, derived only from what we directly witness; thus highlighting our incapability to look beyond the stereotyped realism.

(25) Film Name : Krishan Bhakt Narsi Nani Bai Ro Mayro

Director : Rajendra Gupta

The film is based on life events of famous saint Narsi Mehta

(26) Film Name : Mrityudand

Director : Dinesh Rajpurohit

Radha, The Daughter of Dhanari of the Village Farmers Family Is Raped by Rakha, The Grandson of the Village Headman Bhairav. Hence Radha commits Suicide Fearing the Respect of the Society and Her Home. Angered by this, Both Radha’s Brothers go to kill Rakha, But Rakha Kills Them. As soon as Bhairav comes to know this, fearing that he will be defamed in the society, he approaches Dhanari and offers him with Threats, that It is better you leave Village and go Away Before you Get Disreputed In the Society, In return for which I will Give You Land, So Dhanari Leaves the village And Goes. As Bhairav gets upset with Rakha, he decides to get him out of the house,Rakha’s uncle comes and talks about taking him to his house. But there also he kept tries seduce his aunt, When Bhairav and his family come to know about this, They give death penalty as punishment.

(27) Film Name : Sakuntalam

Director : Dushyanth Sridhar

Set in an era pre-dating the Mahābhārata, the film tells the story of Śakuntalā, the daughter of Sage Viśwāmitra and the damsel Menakā, and her love for King Duśyanta. Duśyanta, the King of of that time, belonged to the Chandravamsa and the Puru Dynasty. After a marriage which results in Śakuntalā becoming pregnant, the King goes back to his capital promising to come back for her, but does not. Later, when Śakuntalā goes to his palace to claim her love, he has forgotten her, much to her shock and disappointment. The film stars Payal Shetty (debut) and Shubham Sahrawat (debut) in lead roles with Y. Gee Mahendran, Mohanraman, ‘TV’ Varadarajan and Sivakumar playing important characters. Rajkumar Bharati, great grandson of Subramania Bharathi, has composed the music, and Sai Shravanam, who was the Sound Recordist for Academy award winning Life of Pi, is the music producer for the film. Audiography is by A.S.Lakshminarayan, a two-time National Award winner. Editing is by B. Lenin, a five-time National Award winner. Make-up is by Pattanam Rasheed, another National Award winner. Costumes were designed by Lakshmi Srinath.

(28) Film Name: Bank Loan

Director: Rashmi S - Poornashri R

Saraswati and Tanu come from a lower middle class family, who eager to start a business by using a central government loan for women empowerment. In that mode both approaches several banks. But a bank does not come forward to lend them. They come in contact with manager John Peter (JP) via a loan agent. JP agrees to sanction loan, on one condition that both of them should join him as dating for a jolly trip. Both inevitably go on a trip with him because of their money problems at home. Meanwhile Tanu meets Santosh, as well-wisher, and he plans to uncover several JP’s scams. But JP desperate for a big debt scandal in the bank, and was been suspended from work. When Santosh tells JP to reveal his scandals, JP removes gun to shoot him. In this friction JP gets heart attack. But all three decide to save him, takes to the hospital and JP survives. JP gives his own money to Tanu and Saraswati, for this gratitude.

(29) Film Name : Belosa (The Brave)

Director : Manoj Haribhau Bhange

The film is about a tribal girl named Savitri and her society which is far away from economic, educational and social factors. Savitri's father is arrested on false charges of theft and her mother also goes missing, in which Savitri struggles for her life and finds her mother.

(30) Film Name : Boorai Kaa Ant (End of Evil)

Director : Mohammed Saleem (Munna Bhai)

We always teach our children to respect their elders, but the elder members of the same household have cigarettes or tobacco or any intoxicant with them by getting them. When they consume, those children also become victims of those drugs after seeing the elder members of the house and that is why humans end but evil never ends, based on this the story of two friends, Sandy and Javed.

(31) Film Name : Meekha

Director : Jophy Abraham

Meekha the adopted son of Patrick was asked to killed by his master Varkey at a particular

circumstance. The story revolves around the emotional journey of Patrick before and after the death of

Meekha.

(32) Film Name : Someday

Director : Shefali Shah

Synopsis : ‘IF THE DISEASE DOESN’T KILL US, THE DISTANCE WILL’. An unprecedented situation has forced us to question our being. Is our existence in solitary an existence at all? Someday is a story of two women, united by the umbilical cord, separated by a door. Vidhi, a frontline warrior consumed by the medical situation tormenting us. After 15 days on duty she comes home to a 7-day quarantine. But, can one call it home, when there’s only distance between her and the one she loves, her Mom, who is gradually turning into a relic of herself due to Alzheimer’s. They share conversations from the past and the future with no present to tie them. Some real, some imaginary. Their togetherness oscillating between what was, what can’t be, and what may just be SOMEDAY.

(33) Film Name : Gaaye Hamari Mata Hai (Cow is our Mother)

Director : Shuja Ali

The film is based on Especially A2 Milk of Indian cow which is considered as a complete nutrition. Its benefits are in scriptures and whole science behind it has been passed from generation to generation. Mythology even describe that Cow helps a person to reach heaven easily. Short synopsis: One Australian Businessman Who is a great follower of Indian Mythology wants take few of the purest Indian Cows with him so that the other part of the world can also get the blessing of great Indian goddess cow. But The Mythological gurus want him to pass a test to prove that he really deserves and would be able to take care of cow the same way they were doing from thousands of years. The whole journey then begins and touches different segments of life in society, including the hardships of poor people, politics to win in the race of survival, difference of opinion among different sections of a huge society, Fight against cruel & greedy existents and Dreams of a common man. It’s a way through a complex, unpredictable journey which has a taste of every emotion of life including thrill, love, devotion, happiness, Fear, anger, disgust, surprise, excitement, amusement, shame, satisfaction and pride. A view of life through this film will surely being a power pack unique experience with numerous

learning’s to audience.

(34) Film Name : An Unrevealed Secret

Director : Swastik Jain

It is normal to have a horror dream same as this story. "AN UNREVEALED SECRET" is a story based on horror nightmare. Rohan celebrating his birthday with Bunty at his house, suddenly disappeared with his friend and the story goes on....

(35) Film Name : Namma Children's India.com (Our Children's India.com)

Director : N. R. Nanjunde Gowda

Siri, the centre of attraction of the film is a child who is loved by everyone. Her father who is an employee in the health department once reveals the facts of malnutrition and the sufferings of down trodden, economically weaker section. When Siri finds out about the tragic death of a construction labours child who she was very attached to due to malnutrition, she falls into a mood of depression. After being advised by a doctor she starts to regain her strength and is very determined to find a solution. In this era of technological advancement, she then joins hands with her friends by developing an app to serve the needy. How she achieves it is interestingly narrated by the acclaimed director.

(36) Film Name : Frince

Director : Ram

It is based on a short story by the master film maker Satyajit Ray. We often say that ‘memory is a strange business’. There are always things which keeps us hooked to our past, they might not be definitive, but they do exist. One such thing of past brings Jayant, along with his friend Shankar, back to his hometown Jodhpur, where he is made to confront his childhood and supernatural belief.

(37) Film Name : Riddle

Umang Patel

“Riddle” means the event or place we can’t explain or Understand. In this film there is a beautiful village in mountains, but also there is a mysterious temple on mountain. A boy who is a traveller went there to explore. While exploring the beautiful village he come to know that there is a mysterious on mountain. This story is about his journey and the mystery.

(38) Film Name : Mhari Pyari Baisa

Director : Narpat Singh Gaur

The film is based on Beti Bachao Abhiyan, a Thakur killed girl after her birth. but after some years he realises his mistake. Finally, he needs girl kid and prays to god for giving a baby girl

(39) Film Name : Tooti Chappal

Director : Kuldeep Vyas

This story is about Magan a pshycopath charcter, he is possessive for his "Chappal". Her wife fights with him every day for his behaviour. This short film amazed you when demonetization was announced and it takes a horrific turn in story.

(40) Film Name : Ek Tasveer

Director : Iliyas Belim

EK TASVEER is an emotionally driven music video song showed the anxiety, misery, sadness while parting ways with love. This grief has connected to many in their lifetime once. So it says love can never be painful, but the separation is!!!

(41) Film Name : Lambi Si Sadak

Director : Kunal Sanjay Mehra, Rohit Puri, Tushar Dahima

Lambi Si Sadak song carries out all the emotions of a lost son (Kunal) communicating emotionally to his father through this song. Kunal has effortlessly shown his feeling into the song that how he misses his father and he will remain in his heart forever and endlessly. The song was released on his official YouTube channel especially on his late dad's birthday i.e. on the 29th November 2021

(42) Film Name : Delude

Director : Nischal Sharma

A squad of four Gen Z commandos are after a list, which has the names of teenagers who are going to be recruited for a terrorist organisation. They fight along those who killed high rank officer and find the guy with the list. Upon interrogation they get to know about their boss and that the list transfer is going to be held manually in a celebration party. Being in disguise they reach the spot only to be ambushed by the terrorists there. They are taken and tortured but fight off and get free. Finally, they reach a spot to stop a live recruitment of youngsters, fight a war and kill the right hand of the enemy forces boss. Did they fail? Did they win? This time, violence can be an answer

(43) Film Name : Kitchen - 19

Director : Eshan Harsh

With the COVID - 19 pandemic putting India under an extended lockdown, many working people and students who live by themselves or depend on another person to cook for them, were in a quandary. The virus also limited potentially dangerous trip to market, food priced surged and people felt pressure on their wallets. This short film showcases how a young girl took this problem as an opportunity and decided to learn to cook by herself.

(44) Film Name : Kala Musical

Director : Seshu KMR

"KALA" A Musical Saga, A Visual experience of a beautiful dream of a young girl and her unleashing of her aspirations

(45) Film Name : Bulletproof Anand

Director : Alok Sharma

Two small-time goons Bada Bruce Lee (Bruce Lee Senior) and Chhota Bruce Lee (Bruce Lee Junior) grab hold of the dreaded gangster Anand, hailed in the underworld as Bulletproof Anand. Anand earned that title because of his notorious history of escaping death despite more than 27 attacks on his life. Starring Festival Favorite Actors Sanjai Mishra, Anshuman Jha and Jaaved Jaaferi in a never seen before avatar. Bullet Proof Anand is an ode to the verbose 90s Gangster films. This is the story of three misfit gangsters, an elusive femme fatale and a lit dynamite in a hapless location.

(46) Film Name : Rangrez

Director : Himanshu Kiran Sharma

Rangrez is a story of Rangoli a girl Photographer with full achromatopsia disease how she survived in her routine life confidently

(47) Film Name: Newton's Pendulum

Director : Kushal Jadhav

A renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Vaidya, and his young assistant, Dr. Radhika, experiences the shock of their lives when one of the old patients, Ajay, hijacks Dr. Vaidya's cabin with a life threatening agenda.

(48) Film Name : B. B. Lal "Doyen of Indian Archaeology”

Director : Dr. Ramadevi Sekhar and Mr. Ebenezer Annadoss

Indian culture is an invaluable possession of our society. Indian culture is the oldest of all the cultures of the world. In spite of facing many ups and downs Indian culture is shining with all its glory and splendour. Culture is the soul of Nation. Through Epics and Legends, we know our History. The history is proved by Archaeologists. One such legendary Archaeologist Prof. BB Lal. For 75 years, from 1943 Prof Lal did nothing except bringing back the forgotten past of Hindu civilisation. His discovery of Harrapan sites in the newly formed Indian state post partition lead to an entire new nomenclature of the ancient civilisation as Indus- Saraswati valley civilisation and he has categorically disproven the Aryan Invasion and Migration Theory as colonial mischief to undermine the greatness of the Nation’s original inhabitants. Prof B B Lal traced the towns and cities associated with Mahabharata and came out with irrefutable findings and excavated five Ramayana related sites including, Ayodhya, Bharadwaj Ashram, Nandigram, Chitrakoot and Shringaverapura. These findings were key in restoration of Ramjanmabhumi in Ayodhya back to the Hindus. In the district of Hanumangarh, state of Rajasthan, Kalibangan, the fortified city has brought to the light, settlements of Mature Harappan times, ascribable to 3000-2600 BCE. The Kalibangan at Western Rajasthan has given the evidences of the earliest agricultural settlement which is ever discovered in an excavation anywhere in the world. This site at Rajasthan shows a ploughed field, the first site of this nature in the world “ ever revealed through excavation” greatest contribution of Prof. BB. Lal. Shri Shankar Lal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women is honored and privileged to film up the wonderful journey of the Padma Vibhushan awardee Prof. B. B. Lal "Doyen of Indian Archaeology” as a documentary film to inculcate the Indian history and culture to the present generation.

(49) Film Name : Trivedi Ji

Director : Rajesh Tailang

The film tells the story of a woman stuck in her apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to survive on depleting food supplies and conversations with her aloe vera plant.

(50) Film Name : Anubandh

Director : Sharafat Ali , Anand Singh Chouhan

Anubandh is based on Real Events book 'Yatharat Se Parichay'by Anuradha Adwani it's a story of old people who are living in Anubandh Vradhjan house how their family send them here and what kind of help them get from Anubandh Vradhjan kutir.

(51) Film Name : Dollu (The Drum)

Director : Sagar Puranik

Dollu is the story of Bhadra, a Dollu drummer-dancer. Time puts his team to test as money becomes a bigger factor for the team while passion takes a backseat. The team leaves their village behind in search of greener pastures only to land in an unforgiving metropolitan city, Bengaluru. Bhadra realises that their temple's annual rituals would remain incomplete without the team's performance. He sets to reunite his team to keep the centuries' old tradition alive. The hardships he faces and his path of realisation that art isn't defined by the constructs of the society; forms the journey of Dollu.

(52) Film Name : Namak

Director : Tanuj Vyas

It is a story, set in a fictitious place Kharpur, a small village of Rajasthan, where salt is produced in abundant quantity from a saline water lake. There is a perception about the village that there is salinity in its air and water and this salinity that is outside, gets accumulated within the people, which never ends.

(53) Film Name : Chirmi

Director : Sarthak Kanojia

Chirmi Song is about on the relationship of daughter & Father, it's a two Generations father &

daughter love from Childhood to Adulthood.

(54) Film Name : Gajra

Director : Vineet Sharma

Life, a wonderful unsolved Enigma. A puzzle to many and a poetry by the philosophers. As it still remains unknown yet it's lived by all in many ways, in different ways, in easy ways and mostly in difficult ways. No one has ever concluded as to how the fates of different people get entwined in this one singular Life which is so diverse beyond anybody's comprehension. The question still remains unanswered as to how in this one Life, people live different lives yet come together at least once through a cord that weaves their fates with the same fabric. Call it love, humanity, empathy or anything as long as the vibes keep people connected. And the outcome of all the connections are not necessarily defined. Many result in an indescribable abstract outcome. Not everything, not every emotion has to be conventional. 'Gajra' is one such unconventional Metaphor that bridges the two world's- the aristocrat Mr. Agarwal and his humble chauffer- Ramakant, which displays a sublime outcome of a peculiarly 'Human' experience they both share on one fine day, thereby enriching Mr. Agarwal's life, vis-a-vis

Ramakant.

(55) Film Name : Sweet Biriyani

Director : Jeyachandra Hashmi

Sweet Biriyani deals with a food delivery guy and his experiences in a single day. Marimuthu, a law student, delivers food for his family’s economic needs. He enjoys riding the bike all day, listening to a variety of songs. On what looked like an ordinary day, Marimuthu encounters humiliation, prejudice, and arrogance. How did he find his solace, and what was his retaliation? Sweet Biriyani answers it intensely and humanely

(56) Film Name : Bittersweet

Director : Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

BITTER SWEET is a dramatic true account of a shocking ritual in the cash-rich sugar industry of Maharashtra, that could be emotionally draining and biologically devastating! The film tells the true story of Satya Bhama the woman who condemned the ritual of having to remove her womb and compared it to the dark slave ages of America. The perpetrators and the victims do not realise that they are toying with the balance of nature and maybe wiping out an entire future civilization.

(57)Film Name : Bhagavadajjukam (The Monk and the Courtesan)

Director : Yadu Vijayakrishnan

Shandilyan is the disciple of Parivrajaka, a Buddhist monk. He comes across with Vasanthasena, a courtesan. Vasanthasena dies on spot as a result of Yamadoota's carelessness.

Witnessing Shandilya's lamentation, Parivrajaka transfers his soul to the body of Vasanthasena. What ensues is nothing but series of comical events. The satirical story features the collision of two worlds.

(58) Film Name : Semkhor

Director : Aimee Baruah

DIRO, a SAMSA man, goes to a neighbouring village to take part in the HANGSEU BISU which leads him to be confined and incidentally dies there. As a consequence, DIRO's wife has to take the entire responsibility of his three children. Working as an assistant mid-wife, she has to face several experiences which she despises. According to the custom of SEMKHOR if a woman dies during child bearing the infant is buried alive along with the mother. Diro's wife got her only daughter MURI married to DINAR at the age of 11 yrs only. Unfortunately, Muri dies just after giving birth to a girl child. In a society where a woman can't even take a decision, how Diro's wife brings a new life to the infant of MURI is like an indication of a new dawn.

This is the second and concluding part of the synopses of the films shown at the 8^th Rajasthan International Film Festival, 25-30 March, 2022. The synopses are reproduced as received, with minor corrections and some formatting.