Just after the release of their highly acclaimed series Panchayat, The Viral Fever (TVF) is back with a short film, Chosen Few. This is the first short-format project they have undertaken. Directed by Rohit Mittal and written by Akshendra Mishra, the short film a compelling narrative that deals with the sensitive topic of child prostitution.
Story
Chosen Few is based on a real-life operation conducted by the police and Justice Mission in 2013. The story revolves around a young girl Saini, who gets rescued from an underage sex trafficking racket.
After getting rescued, she decides to help the police in saving her friend Anita and other underage girls as well. With Saini’s help, police officer Abhay Joshi (Vikram Kochhar) and NGO worker Sheela (Faezeh Jalali) are able to save seven victims of child-prostitution.
Performances
Kochhar as police officer Abhay Joshi is effective. He portrays his character with empathy and nuance. Unlike Bollywood’s Singham or Simmbaa who are shown as hyper-masculine and with bulging biceps, Officer Abhay Joshi is as real as a cop can be.
While Jalali does not get a lot of screen time, she is believable as a social worker who cares deeply for the girls that are rescued.
The highlight of Chosen Few is undoubtedly Saini. Her performance as a victim of child abuse is very convincing. Hers is the only character that sees somewhat of an arc.
Postives
Keeping the length of the film in mind, the screenplay is tightly written and deals with the sesitive topic with empathy.
The background score supports the plot and highlights the tension which is palpable in the scenes depicting the rescue mission.
Negatives
The only negative point of the short film is that some of the dialogues are not well-written. At times, they sound awkward and unconvincing.
Worth it?
Chosen Few is a film that says a lot within a few minutes. It is not a casual watch. It forces you to think about the dark underbelly of cosmopolitan cities and is definitely worth a watch.
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