Short film 'Scenes from a Pandemic' talks of an innovative exploration of life during the global crisis

Discover the resilience of a young woman in the groundbreaking film Scenes from a Pandemic. In a poignant and innovative exploration of life during a global crisis, the new film Scenes from a Pandemic tells the compelling story of Molshri, a 22-year-old woman whose dreams of a bright future in Mumbai are transformed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fresh out of college and filled with hope, Molshri arrives in Mumbai for her first job. Three months after her arrival, life takes a dramatic turn as it is the onset of the pandemic.

Spanning two years, Scenes from a Pandemic intricately weaves the fabric of Molshri’s relationships with her mother, best friend, and her burgeoning career, during a rapidly changing world. What sets this film apart is its unique storytelling format. Every scene unfolds on a screen, utilising platforms such as WhatsApp video calls, Zoom meetings, Instagram stories, and text messages. This contemporary approach captures the essence of a digitally-driven era, reflecting how technology has reshaped communication and connection during the pandemic.

Scenes from a Pandemic offers a relatable and authentic glimpse into the lives of those affected by the pandemic, resonating with audiences who have shared similar experiences.

Director Tanmaya Shekhar states, "Since 2012, I had been living in New York City and had planned to settle there. But when the pandemic came, it turned my life upside down. I lost some very close family members, even my father was in the ICU fighting for his life for many months in Jharkhand. The pandemic brought so much grief that I moved back to India to be closer to my family. It was essentially my ‘Swades’ moment. So I wanted to make a film that would honour this period in my life. And I was sure that I was not the only one, so many people’s lives have completely changed since Covid.

"After I chose the subject, deciding how to make it was fairly straightforward. I was sure that I wanted to show a long passage of time, like 2 years. Because I wanted to show a character whose life and personality changed because of the events of the pandemic. Of course, it’s not easy to condense 2 years into 20 minutes, so I thought about a video diary format. That we should pick the most important event that happened to this character every month and then show it in the most authentic style. And because during the pandemic, we spent so much time on our digital devices - jobs, relationships, even dating was happening online only… We decided to use the phone and laptop screen to show events. Ultimately, we shot the film on an Iphone in a very simple naturalistic style, so that people would think that it’s a documentary, that we are actually showing the life of a girl called Molshri.

Talking about the film, actress Molshri, whose name is the same as her character says, "I was both nervous and excited for the role. There are a lot of time jumps in the story, and to capture the exact point of the journey in the character’s life was important. And it was especially challenging because we were shooting everything out of order! But that is exactly what made the process exciting and rewarding."