Naseeruddin Shah's short film in race for Oscar entry

The short film Half Full, starring veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey, has been declared the winner of ShortsTV's Best of Indian Short Film Festival 2019 in Los Angeles alongside Counterfeit Kunkoo. The victory has ensured that it will be in contention for the Academy Awards.

"The fact that it turned out to be a good film is what matters to me more than any award. I guess it (winning the award) is of great importance to get the film high profile...to make sure it gets seen, so naturally I am happy about it. This way the film will gain a lot of attention," said Naseeruddin Shah.

Half Full, directed by Karan Rawal, is a 12-minute short film that focusses on the trials and tribulations of a young man (Vikrant) who is undergoing an internal conflict. One night, he encounters an old man (Naseeruddin) and a strange vibe develops between the two, throwing up some sarcastic and vague questions.

On being a part of the movie, the veteran actor said, "It was a night's shoot. I found it enjoyable. It's very effective and makes its point very cleverly."