Filmmaker Anubhav Deka unpacks the symbolism, challenges, and raw emotions behind his short film, Cide
What happens when reality starts to unravel? In Cide, Anubhav Deka crafts a cinematic experience that blurs the lines between the tangible and the abstract, pulling viewers into a vortex of mental struggles, existential fears, and unsettling distortions. In a world that often romanticises suffering or dismisses it altogether, Cide offers a raw, unfiltered look at the silent battles waged within the mind. It delves into the chaos of mental struggles, existential dread, and the terrifying isolation that comes with them.
Featuring a hauntingly nuanced performance by Bedashree Sharon Bora, the film is a fever dream brought to life—jarring, surreal, and deeply unsettling. The film screened at the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival recently, is as much an artistic experiment as it is a deeply personal story, weaving together fragmented visuals, layered symbolism, and immersive soundscapes to capture the chaos of an untethered mind.
In this exclusive interview, Anubhav delves into the inspirations, challenges, and meaning behind Cide, giving us a glimpse into the creative process of this unfiltered exploration of mental health.
What inspired you to explore mental struggles and existential fears in Cide?
Like many artistes are drawn to mental health themes, this film is a mix of personal experiences and the universal human condition. Everyone encounters different degrees of mental highs and lows, and Cide is simply a reflection of that—both inwardly and within a wider social context.
What were the biggest challenges in visualising distorted realities on screen?
As a novice team, we were still mastering the basics—so bringing a fractured, abstract vision to life was a daunting task. The challenge wasn’t just in execution but also in translating something inherently shapeless into a tangible visual experience. However, that struggle became part of the process, making the final product all the more rewarding.
What are the key symbols in the film?
Symbolism runs deep in Cide, but it was important to ground it in meaning rather than let it spiral into abstract chaos. The spider in the soup, the transfer of desires from oneself to a loved one, and the scarf morphing into a noose—these are all thinly veiled metaphors for death, reflecting the protagonist’s fractured psyche.
How does the protagonist’s journey tie into larger societal and psychological themes?
The story echoes scriptwriter Bhabna Kashyap’s personal experience with social anxiety. Cide highlights how the world can feel alienating when you’re trapped in an isolating mental struggle. It’s a commentary on neurodivergence, the pressure to “just get over it,” and how society often overlooks internal battles.
How did you approach casting the lead role?
Cide was a collaborative effort among friends, and casting Bedashree Sharon Bora was an intuitive choice. She brought a perfect balance of raw intensity and quiet subtlety to the role—something we couldn’t have anticipated at the time, but now stands out as one of the film’s strongest elements.
How did you blend abstract visuals with a clear narrative?
For us, abstraction took precedence over traditional storytelling. Given a larger budget and more time, we could have refined the coherence further, but Cide was never meant to be clean-cut. It’s designed to mirror a fever dream—just coherent enough for the audience to make their own meaning of it.
Sound design plays a crucial role in the film. How did you craft its atmospheric impact?
We drew inspiration from masters of horror cinema, using jarring soundscapes, distorted noises, and mumbled dialogue to immerse the audience in the protagonist’s disoriented mind. The goal was never to create a pleasant experience—it was to make something unforgettable, even if it leaves you unsettled.
What was the most challenging scene to shoot?
Surprisingly, the shoot itself wasn’t difficult. We had a tight-knit team that worked seamlessly, knowing exactly what we wanted from each shot.
What do you hope audiences take away from Cide?
That mental struggles—whether depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation—are real, valid, and deeply physical experiences, not just trends assigned to Millennials and Gen Z. If Cide sparks conversations about mental health and identity, then we’ve done what we set out to do.
