Filmmakers Abhishek Chaubey and Navdeep Singh are presenting the short film Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot, which is scheduled to premiere on September 24 on filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s curated short-film YouTube channel, Oh Short Flips.
Directed by Shivam Shankar, the film has been produced by Shankar along with Ranjan Singh, according to a press release. The cast includes Vandana Joshi, Prasanna Bisht, Apeksha Iyer, Naseem Mughal and Rishi Solanki, among others.
Abhishek Chaubey and Navdeep Singh Praise the Film
Chaubey said he was particularly drawn to the film’s contemporary storytelling and its ability to combine entertainment with an unsettling narrative.
“What I loved most about BBB is Shivam’s modern approach to the narrative and the fact that it is so enjoyable, yet so disturbing,” he said in a statement.
Singh described Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot as an intelligent and highly entertaining film. He said the short is carefully observed, sharply directed and closely connected to the realities of the present time.
“Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot is acutely observed, astutely directed, and insanely relevant to the times we find ourselves in,” Singh said.
A Bathroom Wall Becomes the Centre of a Larger Story
The story begins with a heartbroken brass band musician expressing his anger toward his lover by writing a bitter message on the wall of a public bathroom.
What initially appears to be a personal outburst soon develops into something much larger. People from different backgrounds begin using the same bathroom wall to express their own frustrations, social and political concerns and anger over systemic problems.
As more messages accumulate, the bathroom becomes a space filled with conflicting voices and grievances. However, the deteriorating condition of the place itself largely goes unnoticed until government officials eventually arrive.
Shankar described the film as an attempt to present a direct and unfiltered view of India and the everyday politics that shape society.
“The everyday politics we live through in society, told through a raw, unguarded gaze…I’m deeply grateful to the presenters who’ve championed this film, and to the producers who helped bring it,” he said.
The director also expressed gratitude to the film’s cast and crew, crediting them for their contribution to the project.
Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot Wins Awards at Film Festivals
Before its digital release, Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot was screened at several international film festivals, including International Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, IFFSA Toronto, Tirana International Film Festival, Roma Short Film Festival, Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Yellowstone International Film Festival and the Best of India Short Film Festival.
The short won Best Editing at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Best Short Film at IIFSA Toronto and Best Indian Short Film at Yellowstone.
Bhed, Bakri, Bhoot will be the third film released through Anurag Kashyap’s Oh Short Flips platform.