Mass communication students watch Adri Thakur’s film Bilori at St Xavier’s College. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, July 5: In just 13 minutes and 13 seconds, which is the length of his film, Adri Thakur won the hearts of the mass communication students of St Xavier’s College, Ranchi.

Thakur, son of noted artists Sharmila and Haren Thakur, is a graduate in still photography and audio-visual production and a diploma holder from FTII, Pune.

The film which was screened today, The Bilori (marbles), which has bagged four student awards for the best short film of the year award, tells the simple story of a seven-year-old child Mandar, for whom his village, his elder sister Tejasvi and his marbles, are the most fascinating aspects of his life.

His world is perfect till he realises that between his sister and her dreams there was one obstacle — him. The defining day in Mandar’s life comes when his sister scores 83 per cent in her board exams and comes home impatient to share her happiness with her family, only to discover her would-be husband’s parents waiting for her. Mandar discovers that his parents, unable to afford Tejasvi’s higher education, had decided to get her married instead. Had she been an only child, the situation might have been different. Or so he thinks, as he decides to leave.

This short Marathi film, based on a real life idea, has been impressing viewers with its fresh treatment. “The film has been shot during the magic hours to impart a sense of grief and bleakness,” said Thakur, who is already busy with his music videos.

“The toughest part of making this film was finding the right location in Pune. The place we had selected was damaged by farmers, so we had to look for another place. Moreover, there were certain limitations, like infrastructure, a boundary limitation of 200 km and minimised use of just 5 kilowatts of light,” he told the students.

The students apart, several well known personalities associated with films were present. The director of All India Radio, Pradeep Sharma, editor of the film as well as Vipul Shah, an artist from Pune, were the centre of attraction. For the students of the college it was an enriching experience as it was the first time they got to interact with the maker of a national-level award winning film.