Latest news with #MomoDeal
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First Post
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Boman Irani champions writer Palak Shah as her short film 'Momo Deal' wins hearts
Among the earliest voices to bloom in that space was Palak Malav Shah, a promising writer now carving her own niche with an inimitable blend of emotional honesty and wry humour read more When veteran actor Boman Irani launched his writing initiative Spiral Bound during the pandemic, it became a creative refuge for emerging storytellers. Among the earliest voices to bloom in that space was Palak Malav Shah, a promising writer now carving her own niche with an inimitable blend of emotional honesty and wry humour. Palak's latest work is the short film Momo Deal, produced by Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films, directed by Dheeraj Jindal, and starring Anushka Kaushik and Akashdeep Arora. The tender, witty narrative follows Naman, a quiet young man coping with the sudden loss of his best friend Mahima — until her ghost returns for one night in Jaipur to share one last plate of momos, turning grief into moments of unexpected laughter. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At its special premiere of the film, Boman Irani and members of the Spiral Bound writing community turned up in full support. Sharing his thoughts after watching the short film, Boman Irani said, 'It's truly heartening to see so many of us Spiral Bounders here today, supporting each other and that, for me, is one of the most heartnening things. I'm very proud to be here. As for Momo Deal, in just 13 minutes, Palak managed to capture exactly what life is all about — beyond friendships, relationships, and yes, even momos sneaking into the middle of it all. She's woven metaphor, friendship, love, and the very philosophy of life and existence into this short film. I couldn't be prouder.' Writer Palak Shah shares, 'Momo Deal was written at a time when my longer scripts were caught in endless cycles of approvals and feedback. I missed the joy of seeing words come alive on screen. So I wrote something small, intimate, and real. No twists, no stunts — just truth,' The film has already travelled internationally, being an official selection at the Garofano Rosso Film Festival in Italy, the Accra Indie Filmfest in Ghana, and more. Palak's journey as a writer has just begun. She is currently developing a feature with Divyang Thakkar (Director, Jayeshbhai Jordaar), a Netflix-commissioned drama with Balaji Telefilms, and another feature with a leading female filmmaker. In an industry often obsessed with spectacle, her work is proof that you don't need noise to create impact — you just need to mean every word you write.
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Momo Deal review: Delicate, bittersweet short film tackles death with grace and dignity
Momo Deal short film review Cast: Anushka Kaushik, Akashdeep Arora Director: Dheeraj Jindal Star rating: ★★★★ Is there a right way of grieving? Momo Deal, the wonderful new short film directed by Dheeraj Jindal and now streaming on the YouTube channel of Royal Stag Barrel Select Shorts, offers this question within its 13-minute runtime. Grief outlines this story in a certain unflappable manner, providing a space for the jagged edges of pain to soften and heal. There is no two-way about it, and somehow that awareness is everything. Akashdeep Arora and Anushka Kaushik in a still from Momo Deal. The premise When Mahima (Anushka Kaushik) suddenly dies, Naman (Akashdeep Arora) is left with no sense of closure. The film opens with her carefully planned-out, eulogistic notes, in which Mahima demands that, in the aftermath of her death, someday, Naman has to cry the loudest. How can he not? He is the best friend. But Naman does not cry, he cannot; there is no outward projection of his grief at all. That persuades Mahima to return as a ghost, just as she was- bubbly, radiant and unceremoniously glad. The two friends wander about the streets of Jaipur at night, reconsidering their lives and choices with a sense of relief. The trick which Momo Deal lands so well is its tonal balance. It is a ghost story without the chills, a slice-of-life story without extended sentimentality. The tragi-comic element is never flashy or too inflicting in its movement. It is an effective device to look at our capacity for catharsis. Palak Shah's writing is sharp and succinct, flowing with a keen ear for dialogue. Mahima's effervesence is intelligently etched out, where she drops a casual reminder of the everyday realities of being a woman in a city. Now that she is dead, she gloats over the fact that she can finally wear shorts! What works Jindal's gaze is aware yet reticent, touching upon the way we reconcile with the loss of a close friend into an insightful and organic whole. Anushka Kaushik and Akashdeep Arora share an easy, fuss-free chemistry, which guides the narrative effectively in its shared silences. Thankfully, Mahima and Naman share a strictly platonic relationship. No unnecessary, volcanic ode to romantic love finds place here, which is refreshing. The loss of a close friendship is just as deep, just as painful. Within its short runtime, Momo Deal gives us a lot to take in, with its elegiac simplicity. It might be too polished at a few points still. We might wonder a little at the way in which Momo Deal chronicles a sombre circumstance like death, but hold on a little more. Naman can only evade Mahima's death for a while. It's just as irreversible today as it will be tomorrow. Death is finite yet so casual, so dreadful yet so abrupt. No attempt at summarising it will lead to a solution. No manual has an answer. One moves on minus that presence. The harsh, brutal blow that it leads to is rarely for the world to witness. Bittersweet and nuanced, Momo Deal works because it understands that complexity and lets it be.
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
The Momo Deal and the Last Goodbye
Remember these three things if I die accidentally. No smiling photo of mine should be shown at my funeral. No boring and ugly marigold garland should be put around my picture. And lastly, Naman, my best friend, has to sit at the centre of my memorial ceremony and has to cry his heart out like he has not cried in the past. And, I will come back if the promises are not fulfilled.' These were the last words of Mahima, a girl from Jaipur who dies in an accident, leaving her friend Naman alone in Dheeraj Jindal's upcoming 13-minute-long film Momo Deal. What happens next? Of course, Mahima comes back. Not because of her unfulfilled wishes, but because she owes Naman a plate of momo, as Naman paid the bill of their last meal before her death. Set in Jaipur, Jindal's film is a step into a surreal world from the first frame. After the funeral, Mahima comes back to fulfill her debt of momos. In the next few minutes, the audience sees both of them roaming around the streets of Jaipur and Mahima doing a lot of crazy stuff, including search for momos at the dead of night. A tale of friendship 'Momo Deal is a story of friendship. We all have a lot of friends in our lives, but there is that one friend who knows everything about us. They know us better than our parents and perhaps even our partners. They laugh and cry with us, sharing the special moments of our lives. We are dependent on them. However, on one fine day, these friends bid adieu to us. No prior messages, no goodbyes. This film is about that particular friend. Mahima, who dies in the beginning, comes back seeing that her friend is unable to accept her death,' says Delhi-born Jindal, who is now based in Mumbai.
