‘Momo Deal’: Dheeraj Jindal’s new short film on friendship and goodbyes wins global praise

Dheeraj Jindal, who made the award-winning short film, The School Bag, which won global acclaim, is back with his next, Momo Deal. The film, we are told, is a witty take on friendship and farewell. “Momo Deal revolves around that one friend we all have in life—the one we lean on for everything. From picking a shirt to navigating heartbreak, from choosing a colour to making life-changing decisions. This friend knows our fears, our secrets, our weird habits. And then one day, they’re gone. And suddenly, you have no idea how to live your life without them. You don’t even know how to cry. This film is about that friend. The one who comes back—not to scare us—but to help us say goodbye. It’s emotional, yes, but also a fun, lighthearted take on death and friendship. The friend doesn’t come back to haunt or terrify, but to bring closure. It’s a unique blend of humour and heart.”

Dheeraj Jindal’s Momo Deal earns international acclaim with Its unique take on friendship and loss

Momo Deal, which stars Anushka Kaushik and Akashdeep Arora,  has already garnered international acclaim, with selections at prestigious festivals including Garofano Rosso in Italy, Accra Indie Filmfest in Ghana, DC South Asian Film Festival, and Toronto’s IFFSA. It has also secured awards for Best Director and the Golden Elephant at the Ooty Short Film Festival. The film is now all set to premiere at Royal Stag Barrel Select Shorts in July.

Talking about how the concept came about, Dheeraj says, “The film is written by Palak Shah, and s very close to her heart. She came up with this concept—this story of deep friendship that navigates between past and present. I believe she has someone like this in her own life, someone she feels so deeply connected to that she jokes, “If I die and he doesn’t cry, I’ll come back to haunt him!”And in the story, the friend doesn’t cry—because deep down, he wants her to come back. That emotional push is what inspired her, and then the rest of us got involved, brainstorming and developing it together.

The film has been shot the in the beautiful city of Jaipur. “Choosing the location was an important decision—we debated between cities like Bombay and Delhi. But ultimately, we felt a small town like Jaipur embodies the purity and simplicity of friendship, especially in today’s time. People still value time and relationships there. Since it's a short film, budget was a constraint. We shot at real locations—on rooftops, in traffic, with lots of background noise. One day, we had an emotional scene scheduled and realised there was an engagement happening nearby, with loud music blaring. But we had such talented and supportive actors that they pulled it off, despite the chaos.”

When asked about his debut short film, The School Bag, which received a lot of critical acclaim, he says, “Honestly, The School Bag was made with zero budget. It was my first short film, and except for Rasika (the lead actress) and the cinematographer, most of us were working on a film for the first time. Jessica didn’t even charge us—she flew to Delhi without knowing any of us. It was made purely with heart.We didn’t expect anything, but we started sending it to festivals, and it just took off. It became part of so many lists and received so much love—we never saw that coming.”

Interestingly, Dheeraj has dabbled in many other short films as well, including Baj Gai Seeti, Vikalp, and Paash. When asked about his future plans, he says, “I’ve also done a non-fiction docuseries for Netflix called Indian Predator (2022), and produced a few short films for others. Right now, though, the market for short films isn’t as strong as it once was. There’s an oversaturation of free content, and short films aren’t getting the same visibility or platform. But people still make them—for the love of storytelling. Sometimes you’re so touched by a story, you just have to make it. Shorts are also a great way to refine your craft. They can serve as stepping stones to bigger projects. I’m currently pitching my feature film—a survival drama. I’ve already written it and I’m developing a couple more ideas as well. I’ve worked on long formats, corporate films, CSR films, training films, documentaries—you name it. After The School Bag became popular, I moved from Delhi to Mumbai to pursue more serious filmmaking.”