Shoojit Sircar, Vikramaditya Motwane Present 'Thursday Special' Short Film

Billed as a tender exploration of love, companionship, and change, 'Thursday Special' is headlined by actors Anubha Fatehpuria and Ramakanth Dayama. It centres on Ram and Shakuntala, an aged couple bound by years of marriage, a shared love for food, and a cherished Thursday ritual, as per a press note.

Sircar, mastermind behind films such as 'Piku', 'Vicky Donor', and 'October', praised the film's understated approach.

"Thursday Special really moved me with its simplicity and gentle storytelling," he said, drawing comparisons to his own unreleased feature "Shoe Bite," which starred Amitabh Bachchan.

"Varun's nuanced portrayal of companionship, ageing, and love is heartfelt and mature. It's a delicately handled take on marriage and middle-age relationships - especially impressive for a young filmmaker - and it reminded me, in a way, of my unreleased film Shoe Bite," Sircar added."

Motwane, the creative force behind films and series that have redefined contemporary Indian cinema, said what stayed with him after watching 'Thursday Special' was its attention to lives that often go unnoticed on screen.

"When I watched 'Thursday Special', I was struck by the fact that though all the stories we tell are human stories, we tend to forget that there are so many other stories out there in the mundane, and in the lives of people who you would not expect to have unique stories," he said.

Explaining his decision to step in as presenter, Motwane added, "I really enjoyed the film. I think people should see it, and they will like it. It's a film that you can talk about and discuss and not just from an aesthetic perspective. While it's beautifully directed and performed, it is truly special in terms of pure story, pure feeling."

The film will be released on January 29 on the Humans of Cinema channel on YouTube.

- ANI