Terribly Tiny Talkies is all set to release its very special short film Aamad on this Father’s Day 18th Jun, 2017. The film is written & directed by Neeraj Udhwani and stars Saqib Saleem, Arif Zakaria, Charu Rohatgi & Abeer Pandit.
In Urdu, the word Aamad means arrival. In Kathak Aamad is the initiation of spoken rhythms or “bol” which also herald the entry of the performer.
Aamad is the story of a father & a son and their shared inheritance of loss. An inheritance that tears them apart and yet binds them together.
Abhay returns home to find his father on his death bed. Old painful memories resurface. Will he be able to make amends for the faults of his past? As his father passes on, will this be Abhay’s rites of passage? Will Abhay heed the call of the bloodline, despite the tinkering strains of the past?
This is the 21st film which will be released by Terribly Tiny Talkies.
Director Neeraj Udhwani quotes his experience on making Aamad. “Aamad is at its essence a father son story. Most boys, during their teenage years, have a strained relationship with their father. I remember I had one. But when we grow up, we look back and realise how much our immature behavior must have hurt our parents. Though we seldom apologize. Aamad is the story of a son apologizing to his father and correcting the mistake of his boyhood before it gets too late.”
He continues, “For this short film, casting was very crucial. I needed an actor who looked masculine and yet would look graceful while performing kathak. My first choice was Saqib Saleem with whom I have previously worked on Mere Dad Ki Maruti, a film I had written. And to my good fortune, he agreed to do it after reading the script. He knew the film entailed him learning a bit of kathak which is a difficult dance to master. But Saqib rose up to the challenge and practiced it every day for hours & hours with the choreographer Ishita Sharma for many days until he got it right.”
He further adds, “For the father’s role, I needed a fine actor who had the physicality of a dancer. My casting director Shaarika suggested Arif Zakaria and again to my luck, he agreed. Charuji, another fine actor, came on board as the mother. And Abeer Pandit, an amazing discovery by my casting director, plays the younger version of Saqib.
I couldn’t have asked for better producers than Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) for this film. My sensibilities matched with Sharanya, Anuj & Chintan right from the first meeting. Also my co – producer Ishita Moitra Udhwani (starry – eyed films) for backing me right till the end and her strong belief in the story. I feel blessed that all the right people came together. Without them, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Actor Saqib Saleem shares his experience on working with Neeraj Udhwani :- “I know Neeraj for a while now as he wrote Mere Dad Ki Maruti and we meet often to discuss ideas. He shared the idea of Aamad with me and asked me what I thought. When I read it, I instantly fell in love with the story and I told him that he shouldn’t look for anyone else as I want to do it. It’s such a simple yet complex film as it speaks about the unsaid things in a father – son relationship.”
Chintan Ruparel, co – founder & Chief Creative Officer Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) invites everyone to watch Aamad, “This is the 1st time ever that we’re exploring a theme like this, with traditional dance as the backdrop. Add to that, the awkwardness & restrained expression of love between father & son. Aamad is the perfect example of a simple story well told and its director Neeraj Udhwani’s relentless belief & persistence that has made the film happen. This Father’s Day, we extend an invitation (Aamad) to everyone to watch this film.”
Terribly Tiny Talkies is a story telling collective which brings together distinctive & talented filmmakers from across the country to craft thematic short films. Each talkie is under 15 minutes, and filmed around either a central keyword or idea. Terribly Tiny Talkies endures to save the fading art of the narrative, one frame at a time. Terribly Tiny Talkies is part of Terribly Tiny Tales – India’s largest & most celebrated social story telling platform. Till date, Terribly Tiny Talkies has 20 short films to its credit. Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) had 5 of its films shortlisted at Jio Filmfare Awards, 2017 in their short film category and has also won awards at different national & International Film Festivals last year.
Here’s a list of the 20 short films which have been released by Terribly Tiny Talkies. 1. RIP 2. EL’AYICHI 3. Deuce 4. Bunny 5. The Last Day 6. Mamta Tonic 7. L 8. Cheers 9. Arre Baba 10. Cuddly 11. Agli Baar 12. Bapu 13. One Day Mataram 14. One Faith 15. Life After 16. Dry Day 17. The Day After 18. Kheer 19. Khujli & 20. Jai Mata Di.
