Inside Edge actor, Tanuj Virwani directed and starred in a lockdown-themed short film shot on iPhone. The film titled Urban Incarceration was released on his Instagram. We chatted with the actor and here are the excerpts from the interview:
We hear you shot the film on your iPhone 10. How long did it take to shoot? Was it entirely managed by you?
Honestly, I got tired of sitting home and living the same day over and over again! My mind was racing with thoughts and I felt the need to express them. It took me four days from inception to execution. I shot and edited the entire thing by myself with a little bit of help from my staff for certain shots that required the camera to move. I actually didn’t write a script but had more of a storyboard. I made a list of the things that were making me personally anxious during the lockdown and wanted to incorporate them as I narrate the story.
What a sinister short film Urban Incarceration is!
It was a strangely therapeutic experience for me to make this film. The idea was not to make it a scary film as much as to showcase how real life can be fearful at times. No matter what we say this is now our reality and we have to deal with it one day at a time.
Do you think the lockdown will lead to a change in how traditional movies and shows are released?
Absolutely! I think there are going to be massive changes in the way we consume entertainment for months, possibly there will be repercussions in the years to come. I am of the belief that until every single person on this planet and there are 6 billion of us is not vaccinated we can’t go back to the way things were. As a species, we are known to evolve when adversity strikes. This might be our generation’s biggest test yet.
Are you working on more shorts like these?
I have an idea that is taking form so let’s see. Whether I am in front of the camera or behind, making web-series movies or short films, the idea is to entertain yet enlighten my audience at the same time.
What are the series and films we will see you next?
You will next see me on Prime Video’s Kamatipura with Meera Chopra. Also, there’s Inside Edge slated for release later this year and Code M’s Season 2.