So far, the year 2020 has been the year for escaping into art to steer away from the uncertainties of the times for many in the cinema world.
Similarly making the best of the lockdown situation, Indian actor Namit Das ventured into writing, singing, acting and composing music for the Zoom Studios' Times Group short film 'Tape', which marks the ‘Wake Up Sid’ actor's debut as a screenwriter. Das has penned the short movie with filmmaker Abhimanyu Kanodia and his wife, actor-writer Shruti Vyas.
Backed by The Zoom Studios, their short film tells the story of a couple – Shivani and Harsh – whose relationship has suffered because the city they reside in has consumed them. Not to mention the lockdown taking its toll on the couple as they search for the song they created together.
Namit, recently seen on UK screens in the BBC series ‘A Suitable Boy’, is essays the role of Harsh, a composer who creates ad jingles for a living. The ‘Aarya’ actor remarks that working on varied artistic fronts – such as music, writing, singing and acting – for a single project gave him a sense of creative control that he had never experienced before. Most of the short film has been shot remotely in the confines of the actors' home in Mumbai.
Namit notes: "‘Tape’ is a love story that is themed on finding your song. People come to the city with hope and aspiration and after a while, the city eats away at their life and personality.
“I had fun being involved in the creative process of making a film and I understand now the rush of powering independent cinema. The highlights of ‘Tape’ for me were having Shruti as my reel spouse and writing this film with her and director-writer Abhimanyu Kanodia over Zoom calls."
The film has been produced by the Zoom Studios, Times Group, for the series Flick.