A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
By Murtaza Ali Khan
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| Akhil Mishra and Suzanne Bernert on the sets of Majnu Ki Juliet |
Majnu Ki Juliet is a short
film written and directed by the noted film and television actor Akhil Mishra
who is best known for his work in films such as Hazaaron
Khwaishein Aisi, Gandhi, My Father,
Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, and 3 Idiots, among others. The short
revolves around a young man who falls in love with a dupatta and his subsequent
search for the owner of the beautiful dupatta. “We love to tell stories with a
twist and in ‘Majnu Ki Juliet’ we wanted to show how easily imagination flies
at young age. How a small thing can set of a whole dream sequence that comes to
an unexpected end. And how a dupatta can play the heroine,” explains Mishra.
Majnu Ki Juliet stars Akhil
Mishra, his wife and noted actor Suzanne Bernert, and a newcomer named Vinod
Jain. It was shot in half a day with a crew of 6 including the actors. The
music for Majnu Ki Juliet is composed by the German Ambassador to India, Walter
J. Lindner, who is an accomplished musician and composer. On the day of the
shoot, the crew had to deal with some unexpected rain which forced them to
shift the shoot to the terrace of their neighborhood. Seeing the film it all
looks very organic and so credit must go to Akhil and team for adapting so well
to the changing weather conditions. The short film has been picked up by Six
Sigma Films on YouTube.
Now, in today’s age of
Youtube and Netflix, the short films and the series find them on the opposite
side of the storytelling spectrum. They both are playing a vital role in
enabling storytellers to tell stories that they want to tell in a most
effective manner. Now, as far as the Indian entertainment horizon is considered
we have really been privileged to witness some great experiments, both in terms
of content and form, happening in both these areas in the recent years which
have allowed us to explore the cinematic potential of the short films as well
as the long form narrative. Majnu Ki Juliet is a great example of the true potential
of short films as a medium for cinematic storytelling. The performances as well as the creative treatment succeed in putting together an engaging narrative.
Now, Akhil and Suzanne are
committed to the form. “Short Films are a great way to reach audience. While we
travel everyday to and from work we look to be entertained. And so we keep
looking for a fun story or something that inspires. Akhil writes the scripts, directs
and mostly also acts in them. We are planning to do more short films with a
twist and we are currently shooting one while in Germany,” reveals Bernert who
plays the mystery woman in Majnu Ki Juliet wherein she also doubles as
producer. Bernert would next be seen in the ZEE5 series 'State Of Siege: 26/11'. The
series is directed by American filmmaker Matthew Leutwyler.
Link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZsBqFY57Tk&t=301s
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