June 08, 2023

Fursat: A Different Experience

By Linus Garg
First publised on 2023-02-10 06:55:25

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Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.

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Fursat is a Vishal Bharadwaj film. It is a short film with only 30 minutes as the running time. It has been shot entirely on iPhone 14 Pro. It is a love story that says that however compelling the wish to know the future might be, it often destroys the fun of living in the present. It is designed as a musical and often the feel is of a street play. But Bharadwaj cleverly incorporates all elements to give the viewers an amazing experience of an elegantly shot full film in just 30 minutes.

The story is about a scientist Nishant (Ishan Khattar) who, in his desire to look into the future, has built a contraption that allows him to do so. He calls it 'doordarhak'. But he is so immersed in his discovery that he reaches late for his own engagement with the love of his life Diya (Wamiqa Gabbi). The engagement is cancelled and Diya decides to move on. But Nishant sees in his doordarshak that her life is in danger. So he pursues her to a designer train (like the Palace on Wheels) where she is getting engaged to someone else. What follows is a madcap dacoity sequence and the reunion of the lovers. Giving out the ending will be a spoiler so watch the film till the end.

The running motif of the film is time. The song Waqt is excellent and brilliantly filmed. The other songs are also filmed in street play style and although they seem to intrude on the flow of the film, they have a meaning and give the short film its overall character. Ishan Khattar and Wamiqa Gabbi are excellent and Salman Yusuf Khan is impressive as the dacoit leader. The film has been brilliantly shot with the Rajasthan landscape and the song sequences coming alive even without the Arri Alexa. Watch it (streaming on Disney+Hotstar) for a different kind of experience.