Priyanshu Modi on short-form cinema: Emotion does not need duration, it needs honesty

As short-form storytelling increasingly evolves into narrative-led spaces, the question of whether emotional cinema can exist within limited runtimes has become more relevant than ever. Writer, filmmaker, creator and Chtrbox creator partner Priyanshu Modi believes it can, provided the emotional truth remains intact.

Priyanshu, whose recent Delhi-based thriller The Pill was recognised as a semi-finalist at the Boden Film Festival in Sweden, works across writing, filmmaking and content creation. The 30-minute film explores obsession, artistic ambition and the emotional cost of creativity. Drawing from his experience across mediums, he reflects on storytelling, creator-led filmmaking, algorithms and why emotional truth matters more than runtime.

‘One is chasing attention. The other is trying to say something that outlasts it’
For Priyanshu, the difference between scrollable content and short films lies not in format but intent. He says, “Intent is everything. A scrollable video is engineered to stop your thumb. It is built around a hook, a visual surprise or a sound that catches you mid-scroll. It does its job the moment you pause. A short film, even if it lives on the same platform, is asking for something different. It wants to stay with you after the screen goes dark. The format might be identical, same aspect ratio and same runtime, but the underlying purpose is completely different. One is chasing your attention. The other is trying to say something that outlasts it.”

‘The emotional core usually reveals itself before the plot does’
The filmmaker believes short-form storytelling demands clarity rather than complexity. He says, “Plot complexity is almost always the first thing that goes, and honestly, it should. In short form, you rarely have the runway for multiple turns or layered subplots. What you cannot afford to lose is the emotional spine, the single feeling the story is built around. The real editorial question is never, ‘What can I cut?’ It is, ‘What is the one emotional truth this story cannot exist without?’”

He adds, “I look for the moment that changes something inside the character. It could be a quiet realisation, a small decision or a look they cannot take back. The emotional core usually reveals itself before the plot does.”

‘Emotion does not need space to breathe. It needs honesty’
Working across shorter formats has changed how he approaches emotion itself. He says, “Longer formats sometimes build elaborate scaffolding around a feeling, as if audiences need to be convinced before they are allowed to feel something. Short form strips that away. If a moment is real, you do not need to underline it.”

He also believes audiences are more patient than creators assume. He shares, “The pressure to move fast is real because platforms are built for speed. But audiences are far more intelligent and patient than conventional wisdom suggests. When a story respects them and trusts them to feel something, they lean in.”

‘The algorithm decides reach, not value’
Reflecting on the unpredictability of digital distribution, Priyanshu says, “You invest months emotionally, creatively and practically, and the response can still be unpredictable in ways that have nothing to do with quality. I try to treat the algorithm as a distribution mechanism, not a verdict on the work. It decides reach, not value.”

‘The short film becomes proof of concept’
Moving between writing, directing, editing and content creation has changed how he sees storytelling. “You stop thinking of filmmaking as something that ends when the edit is locked.”

Looking ahead, he sees creator-led storytelling opening larger possibilities. “Brand collaborations with narrative integrity are already proving viable. Beyond that, the bigger opportunity lies in building a voice strong enough to move across formats and platforms. The short film becomes a proof of concept and opens doors to long-form projects, original IP and creative autonomy,” he concludes.