Short film Gudgudi has been officially selected for screening in the Marché du Film (film market) segment at the 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026.

Directed by debutante Manisha Makwana, the short stars Ahsaas Channa as Ritu, a woman navigating a life filled with financial pressure, unpaid EMIs, and emotional exhaustion. To make ends meet, Ritu works at a children’s amusement park, dancing inside a furry mascot costume, literally, and metaphorically, masking her true feelings.

During a routine workday, she meets Aarav, a quiet nine-year-old boy, on a school picnic, who asks her about “magic”. Their interaction forces Ritu to face up to the weight of her struggles and her desire to be seen as a person rather than just a provider. She eventually finds her voice through a personal, raw announcement over the park PA system.

A t2 chat with director Manisha Makwana on the Cannes selection and the genesis and journey of Gudgudi, produced by Harshvardhan Patel under White Peacock Films.

Having a debut film showing at the Cannes Film Festival is a big honour. What are the topmost emotions like, as we speak?

It is definitely exciting. I would have never thought that my first film would be at Cannes, especially since it is a film so close to me. It comes from a deeply personal space. I am also nervous regarding what the response to Gudgudi is going to be like. It is always a filmmaker’s dream to get the right kind of audience, that it should catch the correct eyes, that the film should do well. The fact that it is going to be played among so many international films is a huge high. I feel very grateful that it has found its way to Cannes.

What else are you looking forward to at Cannes this year?

I have my feature films in the writing stage and while there, I will be looking for producers for them. There are some interesting scripts that I have written, and I hope I can get the right kind of producer for the right script.

Gudgudi is about the daily aspirations and disappointments of the middle-class in India, something that all of us can relate to. You said it comes from a personal space. What triggered the idea?

I have taught myself to write, I am not from a film school per se. I have worked with (directors) Raj & DK for nearly a decade and have been a part of all their writers’ rooms. I picked up a lot of things from them.

When I was writing Gudgudi, there were different ideas, opinions and narratives in my head. Some people told me to make a dark and heavy film, something that would give me a big canvas to play with. I wrote the script at 2am, and the idea came from the time I worked at an amusement park. I had bigger dreams and aspirations and I always kept telling myself that I needed to get to a bigger place in my life and career.

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes at an amusement park and that inspired me to write this story. Gudgudi felt like it took me back to where I had started. This had to be my debut.

What challenged and creatively stimulated you the most about the process of making this short film?

I knew I was telling a bold story... it is not easy to play a mascot. My biggest question was: “Which actor will say ‘yes’ to a role like this?” That is because the concerned actor would have to be inside the suit of the mascot 50 per cent of the time... there would only be a few moments where one could see her face.

I also knew that the story could be a hit or a miss. A big challenge was how do I get this suit to emote correctly? I want to give a big shoutout to Ahsaas (Channa, lead actor) for pulling this off. She exactly understood every information, every instruction that I gave her. When she removes the mask and the audience gets to see her, I needed her eyes to be dead as she looks at the mirror. The face is bright but the girl inside is dead — and she understood that perfectly.

Also, making my first film with a child actor was challenging. As a director, you need to know the kid’s psyche and what he will understand in terms of the emotions and the portrayal. But I think everything came together really well.

The kids that we have in the film are from a school and there is an NGO which has given us exceptional support. We had a field-trip day for them to experience what shooting life looks like. It was such a great day for all the kids, a learning experience for them.

Was Gudgudi the title you always wanted?

There were multiple titles, I was writing multiple scripts. But somehow my heart felt that this was it because I had to go back to where I started. Gudgudi felt personal, it felt like it was coming from my gut.

What has the feedback to the film so far been like?

I have been told that I have a precious and unique voice. That is something that I have heard across the industry. We did a screening in Mumbai in February and Raj & DK were there and both of them said it is a spectacularly made film. They said it is evocative and unique. Others have told me that the short is exquisitely shot, and it kind of delivers a theatrical experience.

What has been the biggest takeaway from Raj & DK’s mentorship?

I owe everything I know about filmmaking to them. They have pushed me and shaped the vision that I have put into this film. Sitting in their writers’ room is enriching because all perspectives are allowed to be kept on the table and the best among them is picked. Their unique style of filmmaking is something I have kept very close to my heart — from the technical aspects like editing to how to maintain the balance between the creative and the logical.

Over the last decade, we have seen short films from the country being feted on international platforms. What is the ground reality like in terms of financing and releasing them in India?

Short films need their own space and so do the indie filmmakers who are behind them. This is the medium to identify new voices. We do have some platforms now, like Prime Video, JioHotstar and Royal Stag Barrel Select which provide a platform to short films. They encourage the making of films in this medium.

Making a feature film comes with a lot of baggage, like the three-act structure and ensuring it connects with the audience. But with a short film, there is the scope to be really honest about what you want to say.

Is there a recent short film that had an impact on you?

I watched a one-minute short film called The Cook, which is so stunning. The Wait is another minute-long short film which I really loved. There is another called The Believer.

A short film called 7 Star Dinosor Entertainment from India truly inspired me. It is about two brothers who wear dinosaur costumes and do nukkad natak and dance on the roads to survive. It is a very well-made film.

My favourite short film is...
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