Shyam Benegal may be the oldest among the 7 mentors in the Shor Se Shuruaat anthology, but that doesn't reduce his enthusiasm for a short film. The veteran filmmaker has been a master of satirical storytelling, and that aspect of his craft definitely reflects in his mentee, Pratik Rajen Kothari's work.
Pratik's satire, Hell O Hello, is all about the trials and tribulations of two rival SIM card salesmen. In today's world, from a paltry chaiwala to the leading manufacturer of an aircraft, everybody has a product to sell. Pratik dwells upon this aspect of the world of consumerism in a hilarious way.
Talking about Pratik, Benegal says that he has a few advantages as he comes from a filmmaking family, had a brilliant DOP for a father and above all, he has studied filmmaking. Talking about his decades of experience, Bengal says that in the film industry you need to accept the bouquets as well as the brickbats, as both are part and parcel of the game. He also harps on the fact that filmmaking is such an expensive medium, and when making a film, one must keep a close eye on the budget.
Shor Se Shuruaat will also feature other short films like Dhvani, Yellow Tin Can Telephone, Azaad, Mia I'm, Decibel and Aamer - all made under the common theme of 'Shor' (Noise).
Produced by Preety Ali, Vinay Mishra and Pallavi Rohatgi under the banner of Humara Movie, Shor Se Shuruaat hits theatres worldwide this Friday.