At a time when making of mainstream movies has hit the road block, thanks to Coronavirus pandemic, enthusiastic youngsters have chosen to convert this crisis situation into an opportunity to showcase their talents by taking to digital media.
This two-month period has witnessed production of some amazing short films, which turned out to be real thrillers for the digital viewers. “Liv-In” is one such short film which has set YouTube on fire in the last two days, by attracting more than one lakh viewers in less than 24 hours of its launch on Friday and was trending among top three on YouTube. The viewership was nearing two lakhs in 48 hours.
Produced under the banner of CAPDT (Comedy And Punch Dialogues Telugu) a popular social media outfit, Liv-In is a 17.25 minute thriller written and directed by Nikhil RVS, who was supported by some very really talented team of technicians.
Liv-In is a young man's paranoia about things that happen to him in his house. It is a one-man narrative of how things unfold for him on a hungover morning in his new home. He finds his girlfriend isn't home and he casually explains that she often pranks him, trying to spook him.
But is that all?
In a tightly packed script work, the short film grips the viewer with silent suspense hanging until the end. The plot seems unwary and in fact, simple in the beginning but as it progresses, the tension builds, with both the character and the viewer becoming restless to know what is going on.
It manages to keep everyone on the edge until the man himself reveals what might be going on which is a slight turn off from the unnerving plot. However, one cannot help but notice some resemblance to Nolan's Inception in the end.
The writer-director, Nikhil, has done an impeccable job in putting all these elements together so well. Every shot is neatly related to the story and not out of the place.
What stands out and makes the watch an unforgettable experience is its cinematography. Brilliantly panned out and did not mess even for a second.
A significant part of any thriller is its sound effects, and in this one, too, sound effects and design had played its note-worthy stint. Srujan Shashanka did a commendable job in this regard to ensure that the sound effects did not dominate the story flow, yet it did not let the plot dominate its presence.
Srujan also did the BGM work for the film, ably supported by Sandilya Pisapati on violin and Mohneesh Sahu on guitars. The mixing and mastering was done at Studio Dream7.
The technical balance is perfect. A tense violin bit emerges, which effectively adds to the tension in the story that has already reached its peak. Ravi Teja M, who single-handedly carried the story on his shoulders is a delight to watch. He is very expressive in showing the character's confusion and fear.
Overall, the film is a fine attempt at a thriller. It keeps you guessing and even leaves you with an open-end.
