DIR. NITYA MISRA
2021 | INDIA | 13 MINUTES
ENGLISH/KANNADA/MIZO/PUNJABI
Women get haircuts for various reasons – for a change of style, a noble cause; or simple boredom. When Nitya Misra brought a script about a haircut to UAKC, every one of us was moved by how much depth she found in what seemed to be a simple situation to regular eyes.
“The Salon” is a complex story about a space where most of us are vulnerable and it explores the emotions that accompany such a space. With this poignant short film, UA Kathachitra continues its mission to promote fresh and talented filmmakers who have creative artistic visions and ideas in cinema and literature.
Often, a haircut is not just a haircut.
A woman impatiently waiting for a haircut isn’t an unusual sight at a salon. Nor is she striking up a conversation with her hairstylist. However, for Nimmi, a recent widow, this is all new and a little overwhelming. Conflicted about the changes in her life, she starts an interaction with Nelson, the hairstylist.
What emerges is a connection between two people caught in conflict with themselves, and an exploration of the conversations we have with others and ourselves. Although they are two very different people from very different backgrounds, they form a brief, but meaningful, connection.
“The Salon” stars Sudha Belawadi as “Nimmi” with Eric Leivang and Beesu Suresha in supporting roles. The short film has been directed by Nitya Misra.
Most women in India are defined as being a wife, or a mother, or a daughter. Having grown up in such a society, I wanted to explore a character who would be forced to redefine herself, and the complex emotions that would follow this identity conflict.
In a large urban city in India, people from different parts of the country, with different beliefs and backgrounds, form the community. This is what I have been exposed to, but I find the representation of this diversity often missing. I wanted to dive into the experiences and connections we share, regardless of where we come from.
By thrusting two very different characters – a young Mizo man, and a middle-aged Kannadiga woman – into a conversation, I could bring out the identity conflicts and an unlikely connection between two people.
Sudha Belawadi is a veteran Kannada actor, having appeared in over 150 Kannada films, several theatre productions, and thousands of television episodes in her career spanning over 5 decades. Though she came from a thespian family, she worked as a copywriter and a publicity manager before becoming an actor professionally.
Her notable works include T.N. Seetharam’s Mathahana, which won the Karnataka State Award, Mungaru Male (2006), Nagamandala, a play by Grish Karnad, and Girish Kasaravalliu’s Thayisaheba.
Eric Leivang is a young Mizo actor and writer who debuts on-screen as Nelson in The Salon.
An enthusiastic performer from a very young age, Eric Leivang is a singer, writer, and musician who started acting in student films during college.
Originally from Aizawl, he is currently based in Bangalore.
B. Suresha is an actor, writer, and director who has been working in Kannada films. Starting his career as a child actor, he went on to work as an assistant director, script and dialogue writer, actor, producer, and director in both Kannada films and television. His films Artha (2002), Puttakkana Highway (2010), Devara Nadalli (2014), and Uppuna Kagada (2016) have received State and National Awards. His film production house has become a platform for many debutant directors like Abhaya Simha, Prakash Raj. A few of his important films are “Slum Baala”, “Ananthu vs Nusrat”, “KGF”, “Act 1978”.
He is an active member of Suchitra Film Society, an organisation that promotes cinema, drama, and art appreciation in Bengaluru.
Nitya Misra is a young independent filmmaker with a background in commercial films. She worked as an assistant director to acclaimed ad film director Prakash Varma at Nirvana Films for over four years. She also worked as an assistant director to Susant Misra on a feature film production Josef – Born in Grace.
She has completed work on her first short film, The Salon, which she wrote and directed. It has been produced by UA Kathachitra.
After an illustrious career in the shipping industry, Ashok Mahapatra retired as Director of Maritime Safety Division at the International Maritime Organisation.
He started UA Kathachitra to as a way to honour his parents, and follow in the footsteps of his father, who began his writing career after retiring from government service and fulfilling his own creative ambitions. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he put together an award-winning team to adapt the short story “Joseph” into the film “Josef – Born in Grace”.
A rising tide lifts all boats, and Ashok aims to give young storytellers with strong creative visions a platform from which to launch their careers. It’s this instinct that led to the production of “The Salon”, a poignant short film by Nitya Misra.
In addition, he writes a regular newspaper column and consults with governments and private organisations on matters relating to the maritime industry.
Vaidehi Krishnan and Ishan Mahapatra began working together on the production of the award-winning film “Josef – Born in Grace”. During the production, Vaidehi, who was the costume designer of the film, helped out with aspects of production. Following the smooth production of the film, they realised that they worked well as a team.
As a creative production duo, they work with films through their lifecycle – from the pitch & script, through production, post-production, and getting the film in front of audiences. They bring their own unique set of skills to the team – with Vaidehi‘s experience in the film industry and ability to be unfazed in the face of any problem, and Ishan’s expertise in efficiently managing dynamic work environments – giving the production the confidence it needs to get the film made.
As a team, they have helped “Josef – Born in Grace” reach over a dozen international film festivals. In 2021, they produced Nitya Misra’s short film “The Salon”. Nitya credits the duo for being responsible for bringing her creative vision to life. They filled every role from her assistant director to chauffeur when the project demanded it and pulled off the shoot in a single day.
We’re delighted to announce that “The Salon” has been officially selected for screening at the Atlanta Indian Film Festival 2022 It will run on the
We have another exciting update.“The Salon” has been selected for screening at the Siliguri Short and Documentary Film Festival. The film is going to screen
We’re so excited and happy to announce that our short film “The Salon” has been selected for screening at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
Our short film “The Salon” is going to be screened at the South Asian Short Film Festival at 1:00 PM on 5th August 2022 at
We’re so proud and happy to share that our short film “The Salon” is selected for screening at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. The
UA KATHACHITRA has proudly begun 2021 by completing the filming of our new short film “THE SALON”. In line with our commitment to promoting new
Original Title: THE SALON
Year: 2021
Format: 2K SCOPE COLOUR
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: Digital 5.1
Original Languages: ENGLISH, KANNADA, MIZO, PUNJABI
Subtitles: ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH
Country of Production: INDIA
info@uakathachitra.com
ishan@uathachitra.com
