Antyeshti | Short Film

ANTYESHTI is a student-led short film, made by aspiring filmmakers in their final year of university. This project is a culmination of our crew's interests and a way for us to hone and challenge our filmmaking practices, with the aim of sending the film into festivals once we are all done. Antyeshti is an ambitious project, and that is why we need your help to support us!

During a racist riot in the UK, Gopal, an elderly Indian tailor, is attacked when attempting to help shelter others in the community in his tailoring shop. Him and his daughter, Vedika, hide out in the back of the shop as they somewhat reconcile their relationship which has been damaged by Vedika’s rejections of her heritage. This event brings back memories from his childhood in 1945 rural India. Gopal's mother tells him stories from Hindu mythology, which are actualised on screen through visual interpretations, adapted to reflect the oppression suffered under colonial rule and generational trauma that has followed Gopal’s family to contemporary Britain.

Antyeshti is a deeply personal exploration of inherited trauma and patterns of racial abuse suffered at the hands of the British. In Antyeshti, we explore a story belonging to India and the wider world. Gopal’s journey is personal but resonates across cultures. His strength and unwavering connection to his roots carry him through the struggles of his present life in Britain. Through memories of his childhood in India, we see the scars left by colonial violence. These deep ruptures separated families, reshaped lives, and forged identities in ways that can’t be undone. These memories are not just Gopal’s; they echo through generations, passed down in stories, rituals, and quiet moments of reflection.

Violence against Asian communities is the main theme of our film, and immigrants living in the UK have been victim to frequent racist riots since the end of the British empire, such as in 1985, 89, 2001, and now, 2024. Through an Indian perspective, we intend to portray a story that does justice to immigrants who face this verbal and physical abuse. 14-16% of the UK’s population consists of first-generation immigrants, and they play a huge role in Britain’s economy.

We are gracious enough to have a wonderfully talented and hard-working team. Here is a bit about each of our head of departments and why they decided to work on this project!

Hi, I’m Kushal Dhingra, the Co-director of the film Antyeshti. Originally from India, this film holds a very special place in my heart, as I get to share my culture and heritage. The idea of the film originated from the recent race riots in the UK this summer and I wanted to highlight stories that depict the violence South Asians face far from home. Antyeshti is a film about the harsh reality of racism and the cycle of oppression that is prevalent to this very date. I genuinely cannot wait to bring this story to life alongside such an amazing and talented team, and I hope Antyeshti resonates with audiences, sparking important conversations along the way.

Hi, I’m Max Brodbeck, one of the Co-directors of Antyeshti. Originally from Manchester, I am in my fourth and final year of studying film at ENU. After having the time of my life working closely with Kushal on previous films like ‘Until We Dance Again’ and ‘The Photograph’, we knew it was only right co-direct our final film together at ENU. This film means a lot to me, and our goal with Antyeshti is to open discussions around our important and relevant themes of colonialism, cycles of oppression and loss of culture. It has been a pleasure developing the story with Kushal and our writer, and I am excited to collaborate with our amazing team to help translate our wonderful story to the screen. 

Hi, I’m Abbie George, the Producer of Antyeshti, originally from the west of Scotland. In my final year of film at ENU, I’ve had great experience producing a number of different short films. I love working on projects which explore social issues and familial relationships, which I felt this story did in an interesting way. This film feels extremely important in its portrayal of South Asian communities, especially in the face of the recent UK riots. I’m excited to work on the authenticity of our portrayal and the challenge of finding the correct locations for our story. 

Hi, I’m Oliwia Szóstka, the writer of Antyeshti. I was born in Poland and grew up in Ireland, and I am now in my final year of my Film BA at ENU. When Abbie and Kushal told me about their idea for Antyeshti, I was immediately hooked. Not only did I really resonate with the story of Gopal, but I was also really excited about the experimental techniques that the crew wanted to use, as I saw them as a brilliant way of deepening the extremely complex theme of the cycle of oppression through visual language.  Writing Antyeshti has been an absolute pleasure. The script has taken many shapes and forms, as have the characters, and now that we are nearing the final draft, I cannot wait to share it with you all! 

Hi, I’m Maya! I’m the production designer for Antyeshti. I’m from London originally but now spend most of my time in Musselburgh. I’m eager to help bring this amazing, visually rich project to life. I’ve recently graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a degree in Design for Screen. I’m always looking for new projects, gaining valuable experience and meeting wonderful people. This project definitely ticks those boxes. I can’t wait to see the results from all our hard work. 

Hi, I’m Sanjana Sanath, the head of sound for Antyeshti.  Being from India, ‘Antyeshti’ is an especially significant project for me, as I have the opportunity to represent my country’s culture and heritage. The film’s exploration of themes like loss of culture, cycles of oppression and memory, resonate deeply with me. As head of sound, I hope to utilise what I’ve learned at ENU, to convey the film’s emotional depth and cultural richness through sound. Moving forward I can’t wait to work with such a talented team to help bring this film to life!

Hi, I’m Davide Alonge and I’m a 4th year student at Edinburgh Napier University. I am originally from Rome, Italy and I’ve moved to Edinburgh in 2021 to start my film degree at Napier.  I am looking forward to editing such an ambitious project as Antyeshti. I’ve started my filmmaking journey as a director and cinematography, but got really interested in editing because of the creative possibilities given by the juxtaposition of different images. I really love the experimental nature of this project because it will give me, and the directors, the opportunity to be very creative in how we are visually conveying the themes of the film. Having moved to another country myself, I feel really close to films depicting immigrants’ stories and to Antyeshti's theme of loss of culture.

The members of our team who are travelling to India include our producer (Abbie), directors (Max and Kushal), sound designer (Sanjana). Additionally, our wonderful gaffer, Lewis (right) and our fantastic camera operator, Zac (left), will be flying out with our head of departments.

This is a film for fans of history and mythological stories. With your help, our ambition is to spread this message to a wider audience, hoping this film sparks more conversation in western audiences.

Making a film is not always cheap, and with your help we can bring our vision to life. This is a student production, so as much as we are trying to fund this project ourselves, we need your help to aim higher. With your support, we aim to raise £4000. Our film works with extremely relevant subjects, such as racism and a loss of culture, therefore we want to make sure we can do so as authentically as possible!

Naturally, your next question may be, where is my money going to go?

Your contributions will help us cover the essential costs of safely transporting our talented UK-based crew to India, providing them with secure accommodations and the equipment needed to capture the story in its rightful setting. By filming on location in India, we’re committed to creating an immersive, authentic cinematic experience that reflects the rich cultural backdrop at the heart of this story. 

As you can see, a large portion of our budget go towards production and set design, to ensure we can accurately portray 1945 India. Other portions of your support will be prioritising each department and eventually, will help us complete our festival run!

Every penny you give ensures that our production values match our creative vision, from sourcing local artisans and craftspeople to capture authentic details to building a safe, collaborative environment for our entire team. With your support, we can tell this story as it’s meant to be told, with heart, precision, and respect.

Supporting us with as little as £5 is able make a difference, however we understand you may not be in a position to financially support us. We deeply appreciate you sharing our content to help our hard-work reach a wider audience.

We are so excited to share the project with you!!