‘POWER OF COMMUNICATION THAT SHORT FILMS HAVE IS HUGE’
Actor Shruti Haasan says it’s a good thing that a lot of films based on women’s issues are being made today
After dabbling in regional films, Bollywood and the music industry, Shruti Haasan is happy to be foraying into the digital space. Her short film, Devi, that tells the stories of rape victims, has won wide critical acclaim. Talking about her web debut, she says, “I’m really happy to be part of Devi. There has been stuff on the digital platform that I’ve been offered before. The power of communication that short films have is huge, and I understand that. I wanted to mark my debut in the digital space with the right project.”
Haasan believes that with exposure to content from all over the world, the Indian audience has become open to diverse flavours of content across mediums. She says that short films, a relatively newer format, have been doing well and she is happy to have joined the bandwagon. “I’ve always been a fan of the short film format. Compressing content isn’t easy, but as a writer, I believe that to compress a story effectively in a short film is very challenging. That way, the impact of a story stays with you for a longer time. In this day and age, the audience is more attuned to getting a message through a short film,” says the actor.
Haasan asserts that this is a good time to be an artiste as content, today, is touching upon necessary themes, which in turn, has helped makers and actors convey social messages through art. She elaborates, “The question ‘Does art imitate life or life imitates art?’ has always been relevant. In India, art and life influence each other a lot. In today’s time, you see people raising their voices against oppression and atrocities committed against women. There are a lot of films and shows being made on social issues and issues concerning women.”