Custody (short film)

Custody
Directed by	Ambiecka Pandit
Written by	Ambiecka Pandit
Screenplay by	Karan Pandit
Produced by	Priyanka Bangia Tariq Chauhan Ambiecka Pandit Mitchell Speers
Starring	Geetika Vidya Ohlyan Karan Pandit Tanaji Dasgupta Sanghmitra Hitaishi Trimala Adhikari Kashyap Harsha Shangari Swaroopa Ghosh
Cinematography	Satya Nagpaul
Edited by	Atanu Mukherjee
Release date	2019 (2019)

Custody is a 2019 short Indian film directed by Ambiecka Pandit and written by Pandit and Karan Pandit. The film received critical acclaim and won the Best Short Fiction Film award at the 67th National Film Awards.[1]

Synopsis

Set over a few hours during a New Year's Eve celebration, Custody revolves around a group of old friends whose lives take a nerve-wracking turn when the host's baby chokes in a fire. As they struggle to save the baby's life and maintain their bond of years, the film delves into questions of morality and the subjective nature of right and wrong.[2]

Production

Before entering the film industry, Ambiecka Pandit worked as a lawyer for several years. She eventually quit her legal career to pursue her passion in filmmaking, using her savings to make her debut film, Custody.[1] The film was produced by Priyanka Bangia, Tariq Chauhan, Ambiecka Pandit, and Mitchell Speers. Satya Nagpaul served as the cinematographer, while Atanu Mukherjee handled the editing. Devika Dave was responsible for the production design, and Shivani Shivkumar designed the costumes. The film also had Aishwarya Chodankar and Leron D'Souza as assistant directors, Bulganin Baruah as the dialogue editor, Allwin Rego as the sound editor, Sasank Sekhar Sahoo as the assistant camera, and Xavier Joseph as the colorist.[3]

Reception

Custody garnered positive reviews from critics. Cinestan described it as "A clever film that is masterfully executed, Custody keeps you hooked till the end, making you wonder about the characters long after the film is over."[2]

Awards

The film received the Best Short Fiction Film award at the 67th National Film Awards.[4][5][6][7]

Screening

Custody was screened at the 19th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, which took place from 20 May – 27 May 2021.[8][1][9]

See also

• Cinema of India
• Drama film
• Short film

References

1. Kahlon, Sukhpreet. "Am partial to domestic dramas, says Ambiecka Pandit of her National award-winning short Custody". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
2. Kahlon, Sukhpreet. "Custody review: An intense, clever, emotional whodunnit that takes you by surprise". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
3. "CUSTODY – Drama Short Film | Filmfare Short Film Awards". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
4. "National Awards 2019 Winners". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
5. "Sanghmitra Hitaishi: I was reminded often of my dark skin and how that would be an impediment in getting good roles - Exclusive". The Times of India. 31 January 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
6. "National Film Awards 2021: Rajinikanth receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award; here's the full list". Business Today. 25 October 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
7. "67th National Film Awards: Complete list of winners". The Hindu. 22 March 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
8. "IFFLA 2021 programme includes 'Fire in the Mountains', 'Biriyaani', 'Koozhangal' and 'Seththumaan'". Scroll.in. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
9. "IFFLA to open on May 20, with Ajitpal Singh's Fire in the Mountains". News9live. 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

External links

• Custody at IMDb