Natkhat (transl. The Brat) is a 2020 Indian short film directed by Shaan Vyas and written by Vyas and Annukampa Harsh. It stars Vidya Balan as a mother educating her young son about gender equality. It premiered on YouTube as part of the We Are One: A Global Film Festival.[1][2]
| Natkhat | |
|---|---|
 Natkhat | |
| Directed by | Shaan Vyas |
| Written by | Annukampa Harsh Shaan Vyas |
| Produced by | Ronnie Screwvala Vidya Balan |
| Starring | Vidya Balan Sanika Patel |
| Cinematography | Sachin Pillai |
| Edited by | Shweta Venkat Mathew |
| Music by | Karan Gour |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 33 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
The film will be opening film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on October 23. The 2020 festival is being hosted virtually between October 23 and 30, due to the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Cast
edit- Vidya Balan as Surekha, Sonu's mother
- Sanika Patel as Sonu
- Raj Arjun as Sonu's father
- Atul Tiwari as Sonu's grandfather
- Nivedita Baunthiyal
- Sparsh Shrivastav as Sonu's uncle
- Samarth Mahor as Bantu
- Aruraj patel as Bhusa
- Abhi Dubey as Suresh
- Vedant Tanwar as Dora
Production
editNatkhat was filmed in Harda, Madhya Pradesh, and the interior scenes were filmed in Mumbai.[4] A majority of the cast members had no prior acting experience. Sanika Patel, a girl, was cast in the leading role of Sonu.[4]
Reception
editShubhra Gupta of The Indian Express labelled Natkhat a "valuable addition to the films which call out patriarchy, and how utterly damaging it can be."[5] Jyoti Sharma Bawa of Hindustan Times credited Vyas for effectively portraying a world in which "women are shorn of agency and men get their power from displaying naked machismo"; she praised Vidya for bringing "simplicity and nuance" to her role and Patel for matching her vulnerability.[6]
References
edit- ^ Joshi, Namrata (1 June 2020). "Vidya Balan: I am a work-in-progress feminist". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Going digital: Vidya Balan's debut production 'Natkhat' set to premiere in online film fest". The Economic Times. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Vidya Balan's Natkhat, Marathi film Habaddi to open Melbourne fest". India TV News. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b Joshi, Namrata (2 June 2020). "'Films are about visualising the script, seeing magic in scenes': Shaan Vyas". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Natkhat: The Vidya Balan short film is compelling". The Indian Express. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Natkhat movie review: Vidya Balan's short film will leave you shaken but hopeful". Hindustan Times. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.