The short is coming into its own in India as a means for making intimate films with nuanced stories.
Nayantara’s Necklace – a 20-minute short film by Jaydeep Sarkar starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Tillotama Shome – takes the trend forward, exploring the friendship of the two neighbouring housewives who have very different lives.
Nayantara (Konkona Sen Sharma) claims to be a globe-trotting citizen of the world who has fine taste in wine and jewelry. Alka's (Tillotama Shome) character is dazzled by her friend’s stories of world travel and liberal views on courtship.
In a just 20 minutes, and despite a slow, deliberate pace, Sarkar juxtaposes their two very different worlds to create a dramatic arc that has an element of suspense and thrill only revealed in the end.
Seasoned actors both, Sen Sharma and Shome act out their cheery bonhomie skilfully.
Sarkar has written films such as Khoya Khoya Chand (2007), Tera Kya Hoga Johnny (2008) and Shaurya (2008). Nayantara’s Necklace was first shown at the New York Indian Film Festival earlier this year.
