Private Project

Thodi Si Khushi (A Bit of Happiness)

A househusband and his trans-person partner discover happiness at the end of their miserable day with the assistance of care and affection for each other.

A handicapped man and a trans-person are living together as a couple. The guy faces several difficulties as a result of his physical impairment, and the trans-person faces numerous challenges as well. The film, Bit of Happiness (Thodi Si Khushi), highlights a rough and tragic incident of their routine day. However, when they come together and express their love and concern for one another via their deeds, they find a bit of happiness, which gives them the strength to face life's challenges and go forward with a positive outlook.

Film "Thodi Si Khushi - A Bit of Happiness", breaks the preconceived notion of normalcy. It is a story about a couple, made of a man and a trans person. The kick is the transperson is working and running the house, whereas the man is a house-man.

Typical Indian family system is mostly patriarchal and the film attempts to break that system by showing a trans-person as a house-running person.

It also try to burst the taboo around a relationship with a trans-person.

The film attempts to see a trans-person with a fresh gaze, by avoiding the sympathy, which helps the character to stand strong.

The film also attempts to show a trans-person in an unorthodox way. Mostly, a trans-person is shown as a sex-worker, dancer or beggar. This ugly and pitiful representation is avoided in this film.

I many ways, film try to redefine the normalcy and empower the trans-person community in a context of typical Indian orthodox and patriarchal society.

  • Ashish Madurwar
    Director
    Nagraj In Mumbai, Doranga
  • Ashish Madurwar
    Writer
    Nagraj In Mumbai, Doranga
  • Ashish Madurwar
    Producer
  • Padmnabh Bind
    Key Cast
    "Baalu"
    Shree Partner, 1 te 4 band
  • Vijaya Lakshmi
    Key Cast
    "Rani"
    Darbar
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Thodi Si Khushi (A Bit of Happiness)
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 20, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    1,490 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 13th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival India (KASHISH MIQFF)
    Mumbai
    India
    June 3, 2022
    Mumbai Premier
    Official Selection
  • 7th Bengal International Short Film Festival (BISFF)
    Kolkata
    India
    May 17, 2022
    Kolkata Premier
    Official Selection
  • 2nd International Short Film Festival (ISFF), Kolkata
    Kolkata
    India
    May 28, 2022
    Curators Choice Award
  • 12th Pune Short Film Festival (PSFF)
    Pune
    India
    June 4, 2022
    Pune Premier
    Official Selection
  • 11th International Film Festival of South Asia Toronto [IFFSA Toronto]
    Toronto
    Canada
    Canada Premier
    Official Selection
  • 5th Ottawa Indian film Festival Awards (OIFFA)
    Ottawa
    Canada
    North American Premier
    Official Selection
  • Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival in the Sky (KLIFFS)

    Malaysia
    Honorable Mention
  • Satyajit Ritwik Mrinal International Kolkata Film Festival (SRMIKFF)
    Kolkata
    India
    Best Promising Film
  • 5th South Asian Short Film Festival (SASFF)
    Kolkata
    India
    Official Selection
  • 8th International Film Festival of Shimla (IFFS)
    Shimla
    India
    Himachal Pradesh Premier
    Official Selection
  • 3rd Roshani International Film Festival (RIFF)
    Aurangabad
    India
    Best Director Special Mention
  • 13th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM)
    Melbourne
    Australia
    Australian Premier
    Official Selection
  • 3rd Nirmal Pandey Smriti Film Festival (NPSFF)
    Nainital
    India
    Uttar Khand Premier
    Official Selection
  • 14th International Short and Documentary Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK)
    Thiruvananthapuram
    India
    August 30, 2022
    Kerala Premier
    Official Selection
  • 9th Siliguri Short and Documentary Film Festival (SSDFF)
    Siliguri
    India
    Official Selection
  • Mud House International Film Festival

    Official Selection
  • 9th Goa Short Film Festival (GSFF)
    Panaji
    India
    October 16, 2022
    Goa Premier
    Best Indian Director
  • Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF)

    Semi-Finalist
  • Dreamanila International Film Festival
    Manila
    Philippines
    Philippine Premier
    Official Selection
  • Urban Visions - Beyond the Ideal City
    Bologna
    Italy
    Italian Premier
    Official Selection
  • Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival

    Official Selection
  • Hummingbird International Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    Official Selection
  • Behala International Film Festival
    Behala
    India
    Festival Choice Award
  • Cut International Film Festival

    Official Selection
  • Jharkhand National Film Festival
    Jamshedpur
    India
    Official Selection
  • Black Cat Award International Film Festival
    Bolivia
    Uganda
    Official Selection
  • Nashik International Short Film Festival
    Nashik
    India
    Official Selection
  • 8th Jaffna International Cinema Festival
    Jaffna
    Sri Lanka
    January 4, 2023
    Sri Lanka Premier
    Official Selection - International Competition Section
  • 3rd Bogura International Film Festival
    Bogura
    Bangladesh
    January 28, 2023
    Bangladesh Premier
    Official Selection
  • 6th International Film Festival Pame
    Pokhara
    Nepal
    December 30, 2022
    Nepal Premier
    Official Selection
  • Phare International Film Festival

    Mauritius
    Official Selection
  • 5th Daddy Deshmukh Film Festival Akola
    Akola
    India
    December 27, 2022
    Special Jury Mention
  • 1st Northeast India International Film Festival (NIIFF)
    Dimapur
    India
    December 13, 2022
    Nagaland Premier
    Best LGBTQ Film - Runner Up
  • 9th Smita Patil International Film Festival
    Pune
    India
    December 18, 2022
    Official Selection
  • 3rd Alibag Short Film Festival
    Alibag
    India
    Official Selection
  • Global Bengaluru International Film Festival
    Bengaluru
    India
    December 18, 2022
    Karnataka Premier
    Official Selection
  • Celluloid Calcutta International Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    Official Selection
  • Arunoday Film Festival 2023
    Ahmadnagar
  • Pratibimb National Short Film and Documentary Festival
    Ahmadnagar
    India
    August 18, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Chitrangan International Film and Theater Festival
    Rewa
    India
    February 16, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Busan New Wave Short Film Festival

    Korea, Republic of
    South Korean Premier
    Finalist
  • Cineville Annual Film Festival
    Delhi
    India
    Official Selection
  • Nassau Film Festival
    Nassau
    Bahamas
    Honorable Mention
  • Officine Social Movie 2023
    Arezzo
    Italy
    North Italian Premier
    Finalist
  • Paridrishya Film Festival
    Bengaluru
    India
    February 12, 2023
    Nominee for Best Film
  • Trans Film Festival Stockholm
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    Sweden Premier
    Official Selection
  • Kaduna International Film Festival
    Kaduna
    Nigeria
    Nigeria Premier
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Ashish Madurwar
Director Biography - Ashish Madurwar

He was a part of the co-operative Hindi feature film HUMNE JEENA SEEKH LIYA (2007). He
did his post-graduation in sound design from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)
and was selected for a cultural exchange programme between FTII and FAMU (Prague,
Czech Republic).
He is an alumni of Platform Busan 2022, Kyoto Filmmaker Lab masters session 2021,
Sundance Collab Visual Storytelling Program 2022, and NAFF Fantastic Film School 2022.
His short film as a writer-director, "Nagraj In Mumbai", won first prize at India's largest
50-hour filmmaking challenge, the India Film Project (IFP) and another 22-minute Hindi
short film, "Doranga", was screened at 3 Indian film festivals.
Currently, he has completed a 14-minute short film, Thodi Si Khushi (A Bit of Happiness).
The film has been selected by the International Film Festival of South Asia Toronto (IFFSA
Toronto), Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), International Documentary and Short
Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
(KASHISH MIQFF), South Asian Short Film Festival (SASFF), Ottawa Indian Film Festival
Awards (OIFFA), and others.
He is currently working on his first feature film, Hiranyakashipu (The Enemy Father), which
was a part of the Filmcity-NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) script lab and was
pitched at NFDC Film Bazaar 2021.
Recently, he was the winner of the Docu Proposal Contest by Cineimpact Film Academy,
Romania. He also creatively contributed to the Malayalam language film PAKA-The
Vengeance, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
2021

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I believe the characters in this film are norm-defying, open-minded individuals with whom I can deeply relate.
A male makes money and runs the home under the typical Indian patriarchal family system and traditional culture, whilst a woman conducts household labour such as cooking and assisting the man.
In my short film, I attempted to shatter that monopoly by portraying a man as a househusband and a transgender person as his partner, who earns and runs the home.
The percentage of joy in life may be less than the proportion of problems, misfortunes, and sufferings. However, it provides us with the fortitude to go on with our lives. Little surprises, joyful moments, compassion, care and concern for our loved ones can bring positivity and strength to our lives.
Little happiness can help us to overcome tons of problems and proceed in life.