Jagte Raho to Anokhi Raat: The magic of single-night stories

By Bharat Dogra

’s is one of the all-time great films of . It received international acclaim and won prestigious awards. The film revolves around the simple story of a migrant worker who, being thirsty, enters a gated colony in a big city to find water but is mistaken for a thief. The film narrates his experiences as he is chased throughout the night within the housing complex. The filmmakers use this setting to make many significant social observations — sometimes with sadness, and at other times with great humor. It is a film with many smiles and a few tears too, as might have said.

Anokhi Raat (starring ) is another outstanding film that unfolds almost entirely over a single night, except for a short initial sequence. It is rich in meaningful reflections on society and human relationships, and it also features some memorable songs.

Social thrillers that take place within a day or two include several well-made and socially relevant films such as and .

At the same time, some films have used the one-night format in unfortunate ways, guided more by sensationalism than substance. , starring , features an excellent performance by this highly talented actor but otherwise lacks credibility or sense. It is supposed to be a horror film, but it is better described as a horrible one.

Another much-discussed one-night film, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, despite its success, is filled with so many killings and endless violence that it risks being socially harmful. Exposure to one violent death after another on screen ultimately dulls human sensitivity to violence.

The shortcut of trying to earn box-office success through sheer sensationalism has spoiled several recent attempts at one-night films. However, as Jagte Raho and Anokhi Raat have shown, films centered on one day or night can achieve excellent results. A skilled filmmaker can use the limited canvas of space and time to explore human relationships and social themes more deeply. Such films also offer great opportunities for filmmakers — especially young directors with strong ideas but limited budgets. Even Kaun, despite its flaws, demonstrates how a film can be shot quickly and at very low cost.

Internationally, the Italian classic provides an outstanding example of how a film set within a few urban locations and over just two or three days can still become a timeless masterpiece of world cinema.

Such films can be a great way for emerging filmmakers with modest budgets to make their mark. However, they should focus on exploring socially relevant issues with honesty and artistic integrity.

Literature centered on one-day or one-night stories can also be an excellent source of inspiration for such films.

This writer has often tried to specialize in stories that unfold within a day, a night, or even a few hours. My Hindi short story deals with two fugitives from the law seeking shelter in the home of an old lady who must protect her granddaughter. tells the story of a club dancer yearning for a different life but first forced to contend with two suitors from the underworld. follows a young girl and boy hiding overnight in a high-rise building after being wrongly victimized. portrays the traumatic experiences of a man who has taken a vow to speak only the truth.

Dramatic settings like these provide opportunities to make important social comments and explore human relationships in meaningful ways. Even larger themes can be tackled, as in my novella — which I am also translating into Hindi — describing the first day of a revolt against the injustices of a dystopian order. When themes become broader, flashbacks often help tell the story more completely, even if the action appears to occur within a single day.

Clearly, there is much scope to explore this format of filmmaking more creatively and achieve excellent results even on low budgets.

---

The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Hindi Cinema and Society, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071, and Navjeevan

Comments

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Trump escalates threats of war against Venezuela, as millions in US set to lose essential benefits

By Manolo De Los Santos The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

Mergers and privatisation: The Finance Minister’s misguided banking agenda

By Thomas Franco The Finance Minister has once again revived talk of merging two or three large public sector banks to make them globally competitive. Reports also suggest that the government is considering appointing Managing Directors in public sector banks from the private sector. Both moves would strike at the heart of India’s public banking system . Privatisation undermines the constitutional vision of social and economic justice, and such steps could lead to irreversible damage.

Gujarat civil society to move Supreme Court against controversial electoral roll revision

By Rajiv Shah A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

Search This Blog