To Pieces | Short Film | Prateek Prajosh

The Pandemic has torn to shreds the lives of many folks. The Shankar’s are in the middle of this chaos and Ram is left holding the mantle of this small tight-knit family. Viji, his wife, is on the outside looking in, desperate to help him with the crumbling health of their only son, Vasuki. Ram’s emotions rocking between “I can do this all” to “Damn you Viji for judging me”. Viji, in denial of her own passing is lingering between the two men and the physical spaces of their home. At one point it seems like Vasuki is getting better, and the disheveled house, the constant rain and the dark days will come to a salvaged end but this is not to be. Slowly in an agonizing moment between Viji and Ram, she sees herself for what she is—Dead. As she sits in their rundown garden, dealing with her fate, Vasuki is suddenly by her side, leaving her ashen. The two sit there and Vasu says “Aur ab Appa?” As they sit there motionless, the screen splits. On the left Viji and Vasu sit, looking at the sky as the sun finally comes out from behind the clouds. On the right we see Ram bent over his son’s bed, shaking Vasuki’s shoulders over and over again.