Short films stand tall at film festival; Huma Qureshi, Sunny Singh, Sanyukta Singh and Laksh Maheshwari wow Lucknowites

Actors Huma Qureshi and Sunny Singh were the star attractions at the two-day Lucknow Short Film Festival, held in the state capital recently.

Actors Huma Qureshi and Sunny Singh were the star attractions at the two-day Lucknow Short Film Festival, held in the city recently. Addressing a packed house at the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy, they participated in a conversation with organisers Renuka Tandon and Gaurav Dwivedi.

Laksh Maheshwari, Huma Qureshi and Sunny Singh during the Lucknow Short Film Festival held at Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy recently (Photos: HT)

During a discussion on the portrayal of women in cinema, Huma Qureshi stated, “Yes, realistic stories are being written, and better roles are now being written for women. But are they enough? No! The percentage is still very low. I am lucky that I got to play a strong role in Maharani, but such roles are far and few between.”

Sunny Singh discussed his shoot experience in Lucknow. “We shot Single Salma all over the city. Through the shoot, I got the opportunity to explore Lucknow, and I found it amazing,” he said.

Renuka Tandon, Huma Qureshi, Sunny Singh and Gaurav Dwivedi during a session at Lucknow Short Film Festival held at Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy recently (Photo: HT)

Author and storyteller Laksh Maheshwari presented his poetic narration, The Story of Four Assistants, mesmerizing the audience with his diction and communication skills.

Weaving together the story of their outstanding journeys, he chronicled the lives of assistants who became cinema legends – Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, and Gulzar. He drew slices from their lives, narrating several untold stories about the iconic directors.

Sanyukta Sinha and her troupe presenting Kathak ballet Sacred Bells

Special guest and FTII vice-chancellor Dhiraj Singh, who is also a writer-director, offered budding filmmakers, actors, and technicians important life lessons. Actor-writer Ranita Kapoor’s book, Ruhani Ke Purane Khat, was also launched on the occasion.

The festival was inaugurated by former minister Prof. Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Short film jury member and director of the acclaimed short film Chutney, Jyoti Kapur Das, congratulated all the participants who made it to the top 20 finalists from hundreds of entries.

The event concluded with a Kathak ballet, Sacred Bells, presented by Sanyukta Sinha and her troupe. Portraying Buddhist monks, the group members were in perfect sync, presenting a different aspect of the Kathak dance form and earning huge applause from the audience.

The festival was organised by Amren Foundation in association with Uttar Pradesh Tourism.

Winners:

Best Film: Thunai, director Vignesh Paramasivam

Best Documentary: Ganga Putra, director Jai Prakash

1st Runner-up: Daddu Zindabad, director Samar Jain

Second Runner-up: Resolve: Child Labour, director Amit Kumar P Shukla

Best Director: Daddu Zindabad, director Samar Jain

Best Female Actor: Thunai, director Vignesh Paramasivam

Best Male Actor: Eighth, director Renuka Shahane

Best Child Actor: Resolve: Child Labour, director Amit Kumar P Shukla

Best Screenplay: Thunai, director Vignesh Paramasivam

Best Cinematography: The Well Baked Cake, director Nandu Ghanekar

Best Editing: Thunai, director Vignesh Paramasivam

Best Sound Design: Daddu Zindabad, director Samar Jain

Critics' Choice Best Director: Kasadaru, director T. Ravichandran, and Muwaza, director Rohit Rawat