It’s a familiar device in gangster films: an ageing hitman develops a close friendship with a young child poised between a world of innocence and the dark side. Chintan Sarda’s 22-minute short film Shunyata dwells on this typical theme but is elevated by a touching and pathos-tinged performance by Jackie Shroff.

Madhur (Shroff) was forced to take up arms because of a tragedy in his childhood. He is keen to prevent his young friend Tinu (Machindra Gadkar) from following him into the world of crime. In between jobs, Madhur spends time with his father, who rubbishes his belief that there is good inside him, and says that he was born for a world of violence. The ending packs a punch.