Short film Dramayama to be premiered on Humara Movie and Disney+ Hotstar today

The short film Dramayama (2022) is set to have its digital premiere on Humara Movie and Disney+ Hotstar today.

Directed by Kabeer Khurana, Dramayama stars Renee Sen, Darsheel Safary and Suchitra Pillai. The makers said the short film is “an amalgamation of emotional conflicts, failing friendships and the general rebellious nature of teenagers in their prime years of high school”.

The short, which went on the floors a year ago, follows a teenage influencer who finds it difficult to live two lives at the same time.

Khurana stated that he was extremely excited about the short film’s premiere. He said, “[Dramayama] is a film about the menace of the internet age we live in and the obsession of young impressionable teenagers with selfies and online validation. The film is my first high-school teen drama, with an important message.”

Co-director Zainab Sapatwala echoed Khurana’s statement about the film’s message and added, “Dramayama is my debut as co-director and I’m over the moon for its release. We cooked this story up in a quaint office filled with young creators, brimming with enthusiasm to create magic on screen and I can't wait to share the final result with all of you!”

Dramayama reunites Renee, daughter of actress Sushmita Sen, with Khurana. She had made her debut in the short film Suttabazi (2020), directed by Khurana, which was nominated for the Filmfare Short Film Awards 2021.

Renee stated, “It was lovely working with such a fun and fresh cast who are so dedicated and passionate about what they do and because we are all young, the energy on the sets was great! Working with Suchitra Ma’am whom I’ve known since I was a little girl made it even more special for me... life came a full circle.”

Pillai, who is known for her work in films like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Page 3 (2005) and Fashion (2008), was seen recently in the Netflix series Call My Agent: Bollywood (2021). She praised the energy behind the short film and said, “It was such fun working with this young bunch of actors and my director Kabeer. The energy and enthusiasm to create a fun film were palpable. For me to work with Renee whom I have known since she was a little kid was amazing too.”

Safary, who made his film debut in Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par (2007), said, “What a great start to the year! I'm extremely excited for the audience to watch Dramayama. Facing the camera with such a young and talented cast and crew was such an enriching experience.”

The rest of the cast includes artistes Zubin Shah, Afrah Sayed and Seerat Mast.

Stating that drama cannot exist without an audience, producer Simran Paul Lakhanpal said, “This movie shows how teenagers get lost in a world of social media and followers, losing sight of real connections."

Her co-producer Ramneek Sawhney added, “This drama-centric film delves into the exaggerated minds of teenagers and their actions.” Another co-producer, Pankaj Rungta, described the film as a “bittersweet reality portrayed through the vintage act of the Shakespearean drama”.

Finally, writer Shishya Ray explained that Dramayama aims to push the youth's insecurities aside to live their lives to the fullest. He said, “I found myself relating to most of the emotional roller-coasters our characters go through and I hope this story helps someone, somewhere from the drama of high school.”