Private Project

Circus

Circus is a satirical observational comedy loosely based on true events, directed by Gautam Arora as his thesis film at L.V Prasad Film and TV Academy.

Samarth is a 20-something boy from Delhi working in one of the many IT firms on OMR in Chennai. Leaving to the airport on an urgent call from his mother, Samarth has an episode with the pillar of Indian Constitution. The Police. What follows is a series of farcical events that leave Samarth questioning not only the Indian Constitutional system but also the ethical underpinnings of the citizens of India.

From charade playing cops to painters whitewashing the station, from the chaos of forthcoming election to extraordinary hierarchies present within those police station walls, Circus is a heartfelt glimpse into the urban life of Chennai, thus being a synecdoche of everyday India.

  • Gautam Arora
    Director
  • Gautam Arora
    Writer
  • L.V Prasad Film and TV Academy
    Producer
  • Gautam Arora
    Producer
  • Sundarram Arjun
    Producer
  • Shardul Bhardwaj
    Key Cast
  • Amar Endran
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 20, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    17,695 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Hindi, Tamil
  • Shooting Format:
    RED ONE
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 10th International Children's Film Festival, Bangladesh
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    January 29, 2017
    Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 10th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala
    Tiruvananthapuram
    India
    June 20, 2017
    Official Selection
  • 7th Gujarat International Film Festival of India
    Surat
    India
    June 24, 2017
    Best Critics Award 2017
  • 5th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    November 20, 2016
    Special Festival Mention
Director Biography - Gautam Arora

Gautam Arora is a young filmmaker and the Founder Director of StoryRunners, a film production house in Delhi. He received a specialization in film direction and screenplay writing at L.V Prasad Film and TV Academy, Chennai. His most recent projects include Ivan Ayr’s Soni (Assistant Director) produced by National Award recipient Kartikeya Singh; Mike Pandey’s Earth Matters (Assistant Producer) produced by Doordarshan at Riverbank Studios and Shaunak Sen’s Cities of Sleep (Assistant Editor) produced by the Films Division of India. His first film, Circus, directed at the Prasad Academy received an official selection at the 10th International Children’s Film Festival, Bangaldesh; 10th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala organized by Kerala Chalachitra Academy and won him a Special Festival Mention at 5th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival. Gautam doubles up as a theatre director and is the founder-director of Delhi-based artists' ensemble called Dvandva Collective. Israel Horovitz's Line, which he directed in 2010, was showcased at Film and Television Institute of India (2013) and University of Hyderabad (2013) and received the Best Director award at Thespo (2012).

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