With run time ranging from three minutes to twenty minutes, there are some amazing Indian short films available on YouTube for free. These short films will melt your heart, make you think, and leave you gasping for breath. Check out some of the best Indian short films that you dare not miss!

1.Nayantara’s Necklace

Cast: Konkana Sen Sharma, Tilottama Shome, Gulshan Devaiah
Duration: 20 min

Alka and Nayantara are two friends belonging to different economic structures. Alka, beautifully played by Tilothama Shome is obsessed to become like her rich friend Nayantara (played by stunning Konkana Sen Sharma) and tries to replicate her in dressing, style, and mannerisms. But Nayantara is beyond the flashy, glamorous woman that Alka considers her to be. The film hits hard as it slowly projects the reality of class disparities in our society. With subtle commentaries on morality, desires, and insecurities, Nayantara’s necklace truly sparkles.

2. Suno

Cast: Sumeet Vyas, Amrita Puri
Duration: 12 min

How far must a physical act go to be tagged as domestic violence? The title of the short film alludes to the very theme that the movie tries to put ahead. Suno is a reminder for us to think about situations that might seem mundane and acceptable on the surface but deep down, they could be hiding some bitter truths. Brilliantly performed by Amrita Puri and Sumeet Vyas, Suno will leave you thought provoked.

3. Ahalya

Cast: Radhika Apte, Soumitra Chatterji, Tota Roy Chowdhary
Duration: 14 min

Do you remember the story of Ahalya from Ramayana? A beautiful young woman who is married to a much older sage Gautama is seduced by Indra using treachery. Her furious husband curses her and turns her into a stone. But was it Ahalya’s fault that Indra disguised as her husband tried to seduce her? No. The short film Ahalya rewrites this age-old mythical story in the modern backdrop, giving Ahalya the limelight. The short film is well performed and thrilling to watch till the end.

4. Positive

Cast: Arjun Mathur, Boman Irani, Shabana Azmi
Duration: 17 min

Directed by Farhan Akhtar, Positive is a short film that spreads awareness on HIV AIDS. The movie starts with the trouble a family goes through when Mr.Soni, the man of the house engages in extramarital affairs. The movie succeeds in showing us what it is to be affected by the deadly disease and the trouble the loved ones go through dealing with the same is palpable.

5. Juice

Cast: Shefali shah
Duration: 14min

Women busy with the incessant toiling in the kitchen is a common sight in several households. The short film Juice nudges us to think beyond these entitled roles based on genders. The movie makes a statement not by its witty or powerful dialogue, but by simple silence, that lasts for a while.

6.The School Bag

Cast: Rasika Duggal, Sartaj RK
Time: 16min

The School Bag is a powerful and heart-wrenching film that is based on the terrorist attack on Army Public School, Peshawar in 2016. The movie starts with the sweet mother-son relationship but that’s not it. We know something is about to happen but are not even the slightest clue until the end. And when it happens, it takes a little while for us to come back to reality. The School Bag is one of the best Indian short films that I have ever watched.

7. Khujli

Cast: Jackie Shroff, Neena Gupta
Duration: 15 min

A father finds a handcuff (a sex toy) in his son’s room and is furious as well as curious about it. To his surprise, his wife is aware of the use of such a handcuff. In an attempt to spice things up, the couple tries the handcuff themselves, leaving us to laugh and enjoy their bawdy banter.

8. Bombay Mirror

Cast: Rajkumar Rao, Vijay Maurya
Duration: 3 min

The brilliant short, in just three minutes, leaves us gasping for breath. It is a regular day at a small barbershop but, not for long. We feel choked at the futility of human conflict and how we delude ourselves with useless beliefs.

Image Courtesy: YouTube