The finest short Indian films to add to your watchlist are Interior Cafe Night, Ahalya, That Day After Everyday, Ouch, Kriti, Devi and The Gatekeeper, plus the Oscar-nominated Anuja (2024). Most run under 25 minutes, and almost all are free to watch on YouTube, while Anuja streams on Netflix.
Indian cinema is known for long feature films, so short films often get ignored. That is a mistake. Many of the best Indian shorts have stronger writing than mainstream releases, bigger stars than you would expect, and endings that stay with you. Here is our updated list with runtimes and where to watch.
Finest short Indian films: quick list
| Film | Director | Lead cast | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Cafe Night | NA | Naseeruddin Shah, Shweta Basu Prasad | YouTube |
| Ahalya (2015) | Sujoy Ghosh | Radhika Apte, Soumitra Chatterjee | YouTube |
| That Day After Everyday | Anurag Kashyap | Ensemble | YouTube |
| Ouch | Neeraj Pandey | Manoj Bajpayee, Pooja Chopra | YouTube |
| Kriti (2016) | Shirish Kunder | Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte, Neha Sharma | YouTube |
| Devi (2020) | Priyanka Banerjee | Kajol, Shruti Haasan, Neha Dhupia | YouTube (Large Short Films) |
| The Gatekeeper | Atanu Mukherjee | Ensemble | YouTube |
| Anuja (2024) | Adam J. Graves | Sajda Pathan, Ananya Shanbhag | Netflix |
1. Interior Cafe Night
This 12-minute film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shweta Basu Prasad. It is a story about love, romance and second chances.
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The film moves between the present and the past, and Shah does most of his acting with his eyes. It is one of the best examples of how much a short film can do with very little: a few lines of dialogue and a lot of history between the characters.
2. Ahalya (2015)
Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, the filmmaker behind Kahaani, Ahalya is a 14-minute Bengali short that reworks the myth of Ahalya, the wife of the sage Gautama. In the myth, Ahalya is seduced by Indra and punished, while Indra escapes blame.
Ghosh turns the story into a modern thriller with Radhika Apte, Tota Roy Chowdhury and Soumitra Chatterjee. Watch it without reading spoilers, because the ending is the point.
3. That Day After Everyday
Anurag Kashyap’s short deals with the street harassment that women in Indian cities face daily: comments, gestures and stares on the way to work. It does not soften any of it.
What makes it stand out is the response. The women in the film decide they have had enough and stand together, which gives the film its punch.
4. Ouch
Created by Neeraj Pandey, Ouch stars Manoj Bajpayee and Pooja Chopra. It is a dark comedy about power within a relationship and who really holds it.
Bajpayee is excellent at playing men who think they are in control. The humour is dry, and the film is short enough to watch on a tea break.
5. Kriti (2016)
Shirish Kunder’s psychological thriller released on YouTube on 22 June 2016 and runs about 19 minutes. Manoj Bajpayee plays Sapan, a man in psychiatric treatment who tells his doctor, Dr Kalpana (Radhika Apte), that he has fallen in love again. Neha Sharma plays Kriti.
The film keeps asking whether the doctor can pull Sapan back from the world in his head. Soon after release, a Nepali filmmaker alleged that Kriti copied his short film Bob, and both films were briefly taken off YouTube before being restored.
6. Devi (2020)
Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Priyanka Banerjee, Devi released on 2 March 2020 on the Large Short Films YouTube channel. The 13-minute film stars Kajol, Shruti Haasan, Neha Dhupia, Neena Kulkarni, Mukta Barve, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Yashaswini Dayama.
Nine women who have all died after abuse share a small room and their stories. When a young girl arrives at the door, they must decide whether to let her in. Devi won Best Short Film at the Filmfare Awards 2021.
7. The Gatekeeper
Atanu Mukherjee’s film drops most dialogue and relies on images and silence. It follows an ordinary man stuck in the same job to make ends meet.
Very little happens on the surface, and that is the point. The routine of his life makes you think about your own, which is why this one stays with viewers long after its short runtime.
New addition: Anuja (2024)
Anuja is the most important Indian-set short of recent years. Directed by Adam J. Graves, the 22-minute film stars Sajda Pathan as Anuja and Ananya Shanbhag as Palak, with Nagesh Bhonsle and Gulshan Walia in supporting roles.
Guneet Monga and Priyanka Chopra Jonas joined as executive producers and Mindy Kaling as a producer. Anuja was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025. It did not win, but it reached a global audience on Netflix, where it has streamed since 5 February 2025.
Where to watch Indian short films
Most films on this list are on YouTube, on channels such as Large Short Films, so you do not need a subscription. Anuja is on Netflix. Short films are also a good way to explore actors such as Manoj Bajpayee and Radhika Apte beyond their feature work. For more picks, browse our movies section and listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best Indian short film?
There is no single answer, but Ahalya, Devi and Interior Cafe Night are among the most watched and discussed. Devi won Best Short Film at the Filmfare Awards 2021.
Where can I watch Indian short films for free?
YouTube is the main home for Indian short films, especially the Large Short Films channel, which carries Devi.
Which Indian short film was nominated for an Oscar?
Anuja (2024) was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. It streams on Netflix.
How long is the Devi short film?
Devi runs about 13 minutes.
Sources: Wikipedia: Devi, Wikipedia: Kriti, Wikipedia: Anuja.
