Synopsis
Pencil Box is a story of societal discrimination and dual standards. The short film uses childhood’s innocence as the tool to present this impactful story of discrimination, love and friendship. Setup in Kashmir, it is about a young chap Appu. For some reasons, Appu is never allowed to visit anywhere except his school and close neighborhood. By the end of the story, a painful truth is brought to light.
What Works
Everything! Everything works for Pencil Box… The short film paints a beautiful and memorable picture of natural beauty of Kashmir, friendship, mother-son bond, love and more – all in a mere 28 minutes! Kudos to direction and writing of Amit Sanouria!
Films like Pencil Box makes me ask the question why Bollywood with its big budgets regularly fails to create such magic! Perhaps it is about our fascination with love-stories and acknowledging only a romantic couple as the on-screen love.
Whatever be the case, let us focus on Pencil Box here. This is a masterpiece in terms of acting. The performance is moving and it is tough to single-out the best actor among all. The actors have made the best of the role even in the briefest of the moments.
Pencil Box also excels in cinematography. Natural beauty is captured very well and is soothing to the eyes. The scenes where Appu is playing in river with his friends are memorable.
What could have been better?
We have absolutely nothing to write here! May be, the title? I mean, the short film merely has very little, if anything, to do with Pencil Box!
Also, length can be a let-down for few, but the film uses the 30 minutes to its fullest. Nothing to complain there.
Verdict
Pencil Box is a monumental short film and is a must watch for everyone!
AglaPlay Verdict: Must Watch AglaPlay Rating: 5.0/5 Language: Hindi Duration: ~29 minutes Writer-Director: Amit Sanouria Cast: Aryan Randhawa (Appu), Anant Singh Dhaliwal (Bittu), Paramjeet Kaur (Mother), Gurjeet Deol (Transgender) & Others