New Forms, New Stories: Zoya Akhtar’s Short Films

Abstract

Zoya Akhtar’s short films provide a departure from her other work and new points of examination. First, they are a compelling example to examine in terms of how this format is growing and, consequently, how its appeal to both new and established directors is pushing the production and form of Indian film. Second, it is a greater glimpse into Akhtar as a filmmaker and how through the greater freedom of the short she pushes herself to experiment with different forms, characters and stories as well as her representation of gender, sexuality and class not realised in her features. In her short films seen in Bombay Talkies, Lust Stories and Ghost Stories, similar to her Amazon Prime series Made in Heaven (Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti 2019), it is possible to see a more direct take by Akhtar on controversial social topics that adds to our understanding of her work beyond what is seen on the big screen.