Pune student’s film puts a spotlight on urban isolation

A

Marathi short film

, titled '

Agantuk

', is creating waves on social media, with over three lakh views online. The film, written and directed by MAEER’s

MIT Institute of Design

student

Swaroopa Sanap

, was also broadcast on a national television channel.
The film revolves around a boy who’s just come to the city. His old neighbour informs him that a strange visitor has been dropping by to meet him in his absence. Swaroopa says, “Agantuk was my project as part of my diploma course. The film talks about urban isolation. We see many elders today who are left alone by their children. They kill time by watching television, and they have no one to talk to. This is a relevant subject in today’s time, and that’s why I think the story clicked with viewers.” She clarifies that the film doesn’t borrow any sort of inspiration from Satyajit Ray’s 1991 film that goes by the same name, but has been named so considering the character of the “strange visitor”.
Nimish Kaur, Swaroopa’s professor, adds, “There are very few content-oriented Marathi short films. We give our students complete freedom to choose the subject of their films, and urban isolation is something that everyone can relate to in today’s day and age,” he adds.