Short film ‘Scenes From a Pandemic’ recounts the lockdown era through a slice-of-life narrative

Molshri and Vijendra Chaubey in ‘Scenes From a Pandemic’, directed by Tanmaya Shekhar
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Scenes from a Pandemic, a 20-minute English-Hindi short film written and directed by Tanmaya Shekhar, is a throwback to the time when life, as he knew it, had to be altered to suit the ‘new normal’ during lockdowns. The film streaming on HumaraMovie’s YouTube Channel, produced by Tanmaya and Molshri, who also plays the protagonist in the indie, explores the tumultuous changes in relationships of a 22-year-old, through a slice-of-life narrative.

The film that was nominated for the Critics Choice Awards (2024), hosted by the Film Critics Guild of India, in the categories of best short film, best writer, director and actress, uses Instagram, Whatsapp and Zoom call visuals as narrative tools.

Like many who were oblivious to the impending spread of the virus that would soon force the world to pause, Molshri and her friend Shruti (Bhavya Grover) move to Mumbai for their first job after college, leaving the comfort of hometown Jaipur. Molshri is the pragmatic of the two, concerned over the high rent for an apartment in Bandra. Shruti chides her for overthinking and nudges her to go with the flow. The opening portions of relocating to Mumbai and acclimatising to work and home are narrated through Instagram stories and posts, reflecting the ways of a generation hooked to social media. 

Molshri and Bhavya Grover in the film
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Whatsapp texts and video calls with parents and eventually Zoom meetings takeover. Tanmaya’s narrative intersperses the small memories of lockdowns such as instant noodles flying off the shelves of supermarkets to the horrifying reality of searching for hospital beds, oxygen concentrators and plasma donors during the devastating second wave of Covid-19. 

Molshri and Bhavya Grover are apt for the characters, displaying the enthusiasm, impulsiveness and resilience of 22-year-olds with dreams.

The story that takes place over two years shows how the characters introspect, iron out misgivings, heal from loss and start afresh. When the end credits declare that the film is dedicated to all those who lost and found new love, it is befitting.

(Scenes From a Pandemic is streaming on HumaraMovie channel on YouTube)