Ten Short Films to Binge on Your Commute – From Suspense to Thriller

Monday marks the end of the weekend and the return of the usual rush – waking up, catching the metro or bus, and heading to the office. If you want a quick mood‑lift before the workday begins, we have compiled a list of ten Indian short films that run between five and fifteen minutes. Each title has earned a solid rating on IMDb and offers a mix of suspense, thriller, drama and emotion, making them ideal for a brief binge during your commute.

Juice (2017)

IMDb rating: 8.4/10. Directed by Neeraj Ghewans, the film stars Shefali Shah, Manish Chaudhary and Kiran Khoje. It portrays a middle‑class family gathering where the men lounge with drinks while the women labour in the kitchen, subtly questioning gender roles and expectations.

Two (1964)

IMDb rating: 8.0/10. Satyajit Ray’s silent short follows two children from contrasting worlds – a wealthy boy gazing out of his window and a poor child in a hut – as they compete with makeshift toys, highlighting class disparity without a single line of dialogue.

Chutney (2016)

IMDb rating: 7.7/10. Under the direction of Jyoti Kapoor Das, this suspense‑drama stars Tisca Chopra, Rasika Dugal and Akash Bhardwaj. Set in Ghaziabad, it follows an ordinary woman whose seemingly simple life hides unsettling secrets that turn the narrative on its head.

The Bypass (2003)

IMDb rating: 7.6/10. Amit Kumar’s silent crime thriller, featuring Navazuddin Siddiqui, Irfan Khan and Sundar Dan Detha, unfolds on a desolate Rajasthan bypass. Two bandits and a corrupt police officer clash, and despite the absence of dialogue, the tension is palpable.

Interior Café Night (2014)

IMDb rating: 7.6/10. Directed by Adhiraj Bose, this Kolkata‑set piece stars Naseeruddin Shah, Shernaaz Patel and Shweta Basu Prasad. It weaves together two love stories, exploring past romances and new relationships with quiet elegance.

Anukool (2017)

IMDb rating: 7.5/10. Sujoy Ghosh’s science‑fiction drama, starring Parambarat Chattopadhyay, Barun Chanda and Ekavali Khanna, imagines a future where robots begin to replace humans, prompting ethical questions about coexistence and identity.

That Day After Everyday (2013)

IMDb rating: 7.4/10. Anurag Kashyap’s short, featuring Radha Apte, Geetanjali Thapa and Aranya Kaur, depicts the daily harassment faced by three women and their collective decision to confront the routine abuse.

Taandav (2016)

IMDb rating: 7.3/10. Directed by Devashish Makhija, with Manoj Bajpayee, Vibha Bhasin and Anand Alkunte, the story follows Head Constable Tanbe as he wrestles with personal and professional pressures on a chaotic Ganesh‑visarjan night.

Moon of the Tubelight (2010)

IMDb rating: 7.3/10. Shlok Sharma’s tender tale stars Master Mohammad Sharik as a young boy from Kolkata who becomes fascinated by the moon, capturing his innocent yearning and playful attempts to reach it.

Kruti (2016)

IMDb rating: 7.2/10. Shirish Kundra’s psychological thriller stars Manoj Bajpayee, Radha Apte and Shantanu Shrikant Bhake. It follows Sapan, who falls for a woman named Kruti, only to question whether she exists beyond his imagination.