HatkeStory is happy to share a short interaction with Shweta Sandhu, the producer of LOCK-DOWN PARTY, a short film that leaves behind an alarming message about the unseen pandemic, mental health itself.

We have witnessed so many mental health issues around us. Yet, we keep moving forward with an oblivious outlook until it is fictionalized into a story and shared with us to fathom its magnitude. And one such short film on social media did manage to bring about a strong connection between the current pandemic and how it may affect our sanity.

HatkeStory is happy to share a short interaction with Shweta Sandhu, the producer of LOCK-DOWN PARTY, a short film that leaves behind an alarming message about the unseen pandemic, mental health itself.

The movie: Lock-down Party

HatkeStory: What motivated the making of this video?

Lock-down Party – The motivation has always been to share good stories for film buffs. And I always look for an opportunity to produce fiction content coupled with a topical theme to back it. So, the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) recently announced a short film contest to get all members to stir up their creativity during this lock-down era. The criteria of the contest were to share a story without stepping out of the house. My husband, Avi Sandhu, is a member of IFTDA, and he brought this contest to my attention. 

HatkeStory: How much time did it take to come up with the script?

Lock-down Party – Within a few minutes of our discussion, an idea occurred to me about making a story based on the setup of a group video call. Avi loved the idea, and on the weekend, he came back with a 12-minute shoot script. I read the entire script and knew the idea had come across well. There was no turning back on the story since.

HatkeStory: Do you have prior short video-making experience, or is this the first time?

Lock-down Party – Yes! Since 2006, we have made professional videos in fiction and non-fiction categories for advertising agencies and broadcasters. Being an avid influencer on Instagram, I have been steering umpteen requirements for digital advertisement videos and short films on incidental branding, including TV promos.

HatkeStory: Are you planning to make more videos in the future?

Lock-down Party – Yes, I have been collaborating with various actors and technicians to manifest such stories and continue doing the same.

HatkeStory: Was this idea based on actual events?

Lock-down Party – The story idea was purely fictional, though there may have been such incidents where people could not cope with this sudden drift in their way of life. And that makes it relatable and equally believable. I received numerous inquiries about whether this was a true story. But I hope that people who cannot cope with reality may get the point to think of how they could stay away from getting intimidated by this story. To overcome any pressure that life unfolds ahead unexpectedly, they must take care of their mental health by addressing the problem.

HatkeStory: Can you please tell our readers more about the team behind making this brilliant piece of art?

Lock-down Party – I have always been lucky to collaborate with like-minded people and never encountered a conflict of interest during the filmmaking process. With the shooting script in my hand and the characters in my mind, I could win over the willingness of my team that including my casting supervisor, actors, editors & sound designer. We all carried the same passion despite operating from different geographical locations.

Yes! Thanks to the technology by our side, sitting in Mumbai, I connected with my casting supervisor in Agartala, and he sent me profiles across the Hindi-speaking markets. After reviewing each one’s audition clips, my heart went out to my darling babes Aashna Bhandari & Nancy Bansal from Delhi, Nandini Maurya from Lucknow, Sejal Kamwwani from Nagpur; Priyanshi &-Hetanshi Jain from Thane.

After almost 6 hours of briefing video sessions by Avi on the characterization, setting up the selfie video recording on their phones, everyone shot from their homes. They recorded all the dialogues and action moments and sent across the collated footage for the edit. 

Lock-down Party will always be cherished as a special memory of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Also read: Malhaar Global Virtual Short Film Festival

And guys show us some love by sparing 10 minutes to watch our team effort, The Lockdown Party short film, in the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYbSBbq6tv8

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