Private Project

RIVALS - THE ENEMY WITHIN ME

The film opens with Archana, a young woman who is fascinated by martial arts, discovering the videos of Swathi, a popular karate enthusiast on YouTube. Archana starts practicing on her own and becomes more and more obsessed with Swathi's moves.

As she continues to practice, Archana begins to imagine herself in Swathi's shoes, envisioning a fierce fight between the two of them. In her imagination, she defeats Swathi and becomes a champion in her own right.

However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear to the audience that Archana's victory was all in her head. In reality, she had never actually fought Swathi and her victory was just a product of her imagination.

The twist ending reveals that Archana had been struggling with low self-esteem and had used Swathi as a way to boost her own confidence. The imaginary victory allowed her to feel powerful and capable, even if it was just in her own mind.

Later, Swathi moves into Archana's apartment building, and Archana is surprised to meet her in person. Swathi teaches Archana her karate moves and the two become close. In the end, they work together to improve their skills and become better martial artists.

By having Swathi teach her abilities to Archana, the story comes full circle and completes the character arc for Archana. From being inspired by Swathi to imagining herself as a karate champion to finally learning from Swathi in person

Title "Rivals: The Enemy Within Me" captures the central conflict and theme of the story - the battle between Archana's imagination and reality, and the internal struggle she faces in pursuing her dreams.

  • P KRISHNAKANTH
    Director
  • ARCHANA VELIMINETI
    Key Cast
    "Archana"
  • SWATHI PATNAIKUNI
    Key Cast
    "Swathi"
  • NAMRATA
    Key Cast
    "Archana"
  • D VIJAY KUMAR
    Action Choreographer
  • P KRISHNAKANTH
    Cinematography
  • P KRISHNAKANTH
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 14, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Mobile/FHD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cult Critic Movie Awards
    Kolkata, India
    FILM ON WOMEN - OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
    MOBILE FILM - CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD
  • Tokyo International Short Film Festival
    Tokyo, Japan
    INDIAN INDIE FILM - HONORABLE MENTION
  • Only The Best Awards
    Online Event
    BEST MOBILE SHORT FILM - JURY AWARD
  • 1ST MONTHLY FILM FESTIVAL
    Online Event
    MOBILE FILM - SPECIAL MENTION
  • Ayodhya Film Festival
    Ayodhya
    India
    Best Debut Director - Special Jury
  • Jaipur International Film Festival
    Jaipur
    India
    January 9, 2023
    Inox GT Central, Jaipur
    Mobile FIlm
  • NexGn International Short Film Festival
    Pune
    India
    Best Short Film
Director Biography - P KRISHNAKANTH


Krishnakanth makes his directorial debut with short film "Rivals" based on martial arts. He graduated with an engineering degree in computer science and working as an Assistant consultant since 2014. His film journey started with editing trailer cuts and color grading videos which landed him as a director.

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Director Statement

Practice until your idol becomes your rival