Every film has a heartbeat, but for Neeramoni, that heartbeat was a ticking clock. When we set out to create this film for the Heavy Budget Short Film Competition, we knew the constraints were tight: three minutes, one theme 'Love in Any Form' and a deadline that felt like a closing door. Today, as we celebrate our 3rd Prize win, I want to pull back the curtain on how those three minutes came to be.

The journey began with four days of intense scripting. By April 14th, the final draft was ready. A three-page narrative designed to explore the depths of human connection within 180 seconds. It was a one-actor script, a focused character study that demanded a performance capable of carrying the entire weight of the story. I reached out to Niramoni Mahalia, and her immediate interest sparked the momentum we needed.

"We met for a screen reading on the evening of the 15th. By the 16th, we were already transforming an empty room into a universe."

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Building the World

On the 16th, we began. The location was Pranjal Das’s newly constructed house, an empty shell of a room that we spent seven hours (7 AM to 2 PM) converting into our set. It was a true community effort—I’m Pranjal’s neighbor, so we ran the power lines from my house to his to get our lights running. Nilam Jyoti Das, our Assistant Director, managed the gear and logistics while we hand-picked plants provided by the wonderful Purabi (Tiku) and Karishma (Xoru Moina) to bring life to the space.

I was nervous. We had from 2 PM to 5 PM to shoot everything. But when Niramoni Mahalia stepped onto the set in her Muga silk saree and red blouse, the atmosphere shifted. She was a sweetheart to work with, effortlessly moving between laughter and tears, expressing the character with so much depth that left us in awe. As the Cinematographer, I watched through the lens as the story came alive.

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The Final Polish

The post-production was a race against time. Audio work - dubbing, music, and Foley was completed by Hironya Boro at Dakhwr Records on April 21st. The final edit was exported on the 22nd, the very last day of the competition. While the results were announced on May 7th, the work continues; I'm currently personally refining the background sound and Foley to ensure 'Neeramoni' is perfect before it reaches its final audience.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS