Jubilee (2023) fame actor Sidhant Gupta-starrer Duet, backed by Bejoy Nambiar and directed by Sheetal Menon has become the first short film which will be released on Spotify. The film has a premiere date of July 30.
Produced under the Getaway Pictures banner, with a screenplay co-written by Arpita Chatterjee and Sheetal (who also conceptualised the story), Duet follows the journey of a pianist who, amid the isolating backdrop of a global pandemic, is left grappling with the sudden loss of his estranged brother.
“The film grew out of a very specific kind of grief… the isolation so many of us felt during the pandemic,” says Sheetal about Duet, which sees Gupta immerse himself into the character of a fractured musician. The narrative tracks his struggle to come to terms with his brother's passing until an inexplicable musical connection pulls him back toward hope.
What follows is a haunting duet between the two, expressed entirely through music, he plays the piano and somehow, something answers in the form of a violin, forming an unspoken musical bond. Through this unexpected connection, he finds a glimmer of redemption amid his despair, reads the synopsis.
Calling the film a “journey from the darkest moment to the kiss of light,” Sidhant said, “I have always wondered what a person must be going through internally when giving up on life seems easier than living another day. What is that level of pain that’s beyond any help in someone’s head? This story came to me post Jubilee. It never left me and that’s how I knew it’s the one for me.”
Filmmaker-producer Bejoy called the film a “monumental labor of love” from writer-director Sheetal Menon and said, “In just her second film, Sheetal, alongside an incredible cast and crew, has pulled off something both deeply intimate and ambitiously cinematic.
Featuring special appearances by Sayani Gupta and Puja Sarup, Duet has been lensed by cinematographer Siddharth Srinivasan and edited by Prakash Kurup, with sound design by Moinak Bose.
The film’s evocative score is composed by Sid Acharya. The project features notable global compositions, including 'Delusion – III Delicat Avec Passion' by Eric Christian (New York) and 'The Hourglass' by Ben Crosland (London), with a featured violin performance by Tineke de Jong (London).