In Sujoy Ghosh’s going-viral-fast short film Ahalya starring Soumitra Chatterjee, Radhika Apte and Tota Roy Chowdhury, hand-made dolls play a key role in the unraveling of the case being investigated by Roy Chowdhury’s police inspector. In the award-winning animated film Alma, made in 2009 by Rodrigo Blaas, there is a roomful of malevolent looking dolls that perform a different, but equally important, part.

Alma is reportedly being developed into a full-length movie. Blaas has worked on several features and shorts produced by the animation giant Pixar, including Brave and La Luna.