The Promise: 5 Reasons Why You Should Not Skip Tigmanshu Dhulia's Short Film

Tigmanshu Dhulia's The Promise is now out on YouTube. It premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival in October 2024 and was released on the platform just recently, thanks to the Royal Stag Barrel Select Shorts' channel. Starring Priyamani and Jim Sarbh, The Promise is about two people, in a budding relationship, who vow to meet after two decades at the same place of their partition. I give you five solid reasons why you should not skip this short film.

5 Reasons To Not Skip Tigmanshu Dhulia's The Promise

All it took was 11 minutes for Dhulia to deliver this moving watch called The Promise. Here's why you should make this your go-to film this weekend:

1) Simple Story

New to the city, Delhi girl Chitra (Priyamani) enters a bar and strikes an unusual bond with its bartender George Batra (Sarbh). Their unexpected connection blossoms until George has to leave for abroad after getting his long-awaited M.Tech acceptance letter. They, however, promise (and that's where the title comes from) to meet one another after 20 years. The plot may sound like O'Henry's After Twenty Years, but the short film steals your heart and leaves you with a lumpy throat when the climax happens. Not revealing much; just go and watch it.

2) Use of Coloured and Black-White Frames

One of the highlights of The Promise isthe alternate usage of black and white and coloured frames. While the black-white frames depict the present times, the coloured ones are for the past. Symbolically, it means the past was vibrant and memorable because it had love and hope, while the present time is uncoloured and washed out because it misses both. Poignant touch!

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3) Single Setting

Dhulia didn't waste much of his time with the setting, which worked well for The Promise. The whole film is shot inside an old, vintage bar-cum-eatery like the Leopold Cafe in Colaba, Mumbai. This way, the director made sure your focus was only on the story, characters, performances, and the "promise."

4) Characters

The Promise solely revolves around two characters: Chitra and George. All the side ones are just capable shoulders to drive the plot ahead, which in turn, is only about how the relationship the two shared develops/culminates. In other words, zero waste of your time!

5) Direction

Dhulia's direction and writing need no introduction. Even if you are not a movie buff, you have heard his name, courtesy of thriller drama Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, and biographical films like Paan Singh Tomar, among others, which he helmed. Even as an actor, he left a mark with his stellar performance in Gangs of Wasseypur. In The Promise, Dhulia's expertise is reflected in every scene, with crisp dialogues and taut direction.

Tigmanshu Dhulia's short, The Promise, is free to watch on the YouTube channel of Royal Stag Barrel Select Shorts.

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