BENGALURU: As the world increasingly depends on isolation to keep COVID-19 at bay, many are facing the new experience of lockdown. But is isolation all that new? A short film, Polar Night, starring Hyderabad-based classical dancer and drag performer Patruni Chidananda Sastry explores the theme of ‘quarantine’. A Polar Night is a phenomenon in which night lasts over 24 hours. The emotional journey of the protagonist in the film, directed by Rakesh Asileti, is an analogy of the current situation.
“The film, which also stars Sonakshi Verma, is an artistic display of the current time and the quest to see the light behind,” says Chidananda. “It revolves around a guy who is placed in city that witnesses the rare geographical phenomenon and how his relationships get affected. It aims to show the normality of isolation and its impact on human beings. It shows how people in multiple geographies are bound to live a lifestyle of isolation daily.”
Rakesh, the director of the film, says, “The five-minute film was shot with a smartphone, and made with just two persons at one time, one being in front of the camera, and the other behind it. The entire movie was shot in a single room.” The team is now looking for the right online platform to publish the movie. The other lead, Sonakshi, has acted in plays in the city.