Ahmedabad filmmakers' short film ‘GIRAH’ makes it to Egyptian American Film Festival

What began as an idea to explore the ‘female perspective’ of Indian women has culminated in the Hindi short film GIRAH. Created by Ahmedabad-based filmmakers Pratik Rathod and Dhrupad Shukla, the film has earned an official selection for screening at the Egyptian American Film Festival (EAFF).

“GIRAH carries the emotional language of simple living. We are grateful that a personal story from our city will be showcased internationally,” said Cinematographer and Co-Producer Shukla.

Rathod, who recently contributed as an acting coach in the Gujarati-language supernatural psychological horror film ‘Vash: Level 2’ said, “We wanted to explore the female perspective in the Indian household. It is the story of what we see daily in any other household of Ahmedabad.”

The film, starring a female protagonist Hetal Shrivastav, set in a middle-class Indian household, explores the delicate layers of family life — where love, longing, and unspoken tensions quietly shape everyday existence. Through an intimate lens, GIRAH highlights how even the most ordinary celebrations can reveal fragile relationships and emotional undercurrents.

Sunita, the protagonist, stands at the threshold of privilege and love — a wealthy woman who chose a middle-class man. Now, she lingers in the quiet conflict between being “good” and doing what is right for her own heart.

GIRAH is the duo’s first independently made short film, which they began to shoot in 2024. Sharing the struggles of filmmaking, Dhrupad said, “Several people came forward to help us overcome our budget limitations. To keep costs under control, we decided to shoot the entire film at Pratik’s house.”

The festival will take place at the Center for the Arts in Staten Island, New York, from October 31 to November 4, 2025.

GIRAH is written by Pratik Rathod; the film stars Hetal Shrivastav and Pratik Rathod himself in lead roles. Ahmedabad-based filmmaker Dhrupad Shukla serves as the Director of Photography and Co-Producer. The film’s creative team includes Zeal Pithva (Editor), Devkrit Baluni (Sound Design), Shubham Sengupta (Music), Dana Soniya & Suyog Tamanekhar (Poster Design), and Creative Producers Jeet Ajawalia & Het Panchal. The project has been mentored by acclaimed filmmaker Paresh Kamdar.

“We are truly honoured that a film made in Ahmedabad with our local talent will now reach global audiences,” said Rathod. His message for every young aspiring filmmaker was, “Just write it, and shoot it.”

The team believes this recognition will inspire more filmmakers from Gujarat to create bold and sincere cinema that resonates globally.