Chaukat Short Film Review

If you are someone who chooses living beings over the non-living ones, then this 12-minute long Marathi short film, Chaukat is for you. The challenge for short films is to effectively deliver the message in the shortest time span possible. Many filmmakers fail to narrate a complete story in the set time limit which is why most of the times, the viewers are left wondering what was the film all about. But the ones who nail the art are the ones that set a benchmark.

Laddoo – Food For Thought was one such film. The impact it leaves on you in 12 minutes 27 seconds is remarkable. The same can be said about Chaukat. Living up to its name, every frame in the film is attention-grabbing. The setting along with the house takes you on a tour of every village and the village house you have been to (and definitely their lifestyle).

What makes a short film outstanding is the details you add to it. Minute details have been very well crafted in the film, and at the right places – then may it be the grinding of puran, diyas lit in the dark, the greys and the colours, or the half-opened/half closed door.

Coming to the story, it’s not that we haven’t been asked to feed the hungry before God earlier, but the way the storytellers here pass on the message is what makes you want to listen to them. I love it when the writers and the directors do not manipulate you into believing in the message they are delivering, but they simply weave a story and trust in the power of their storytelling. They know that their message will not just be well-received but will also be appreciated and thought over.

When the lady prepares a variety of delicious food items for the idols while the old man is given a dry bhakri with bhaaji, it makes you question that if God really exists, will the food ever make him content when his kids are suffering?

Also Read: Baluta Review (Marathi Short Film)