Dreams and reality often clash within the narrow walls of India’s small towns. Filmmaker Shashwat Dwivedi’s latest creation, Bobby Beauty Parlour, explores the tender chaos of youth, friendship, and ambition within these walls. This coming-of-age story revolves around childhood best friends Eelu and Manu, who find themselves trapped in a local beauty parlour on a sweltering afternoon. As laughter and shared secrets fill the air, so does a creeping tension that tests their bond.

Dwivedi’s short film is an ode to those confusing, electrifying teenage years, echoing his own anxieties and dreams as a small-towner who moved to Mumbai to pursue his dreams. Previously, he was veteran filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s director’s assistant, and he is also a screenwriter, lyricist, and a graduate of the Asian Academy of Film & Television, with a specialisation in direction and screenwriting.