Actor Taher Shabbir & Sheena Chohan All Set To Star In A Short Film ‘Walls; A story on exploring loneliness, human connection and the invisible barriers people build around themselves”

Taher Shabbir and Sheena Chohan are set to headline Walls, an upcoming short film directed by Fraser Scott, exploring loneliness, human connection and the invisible barriers people build around themselves.

The film follows Monisha, an isolated sound engineer whose deadline is interrupted when her outgoing neighbour Ekansh begins noisily moving house. Her attempts to shut him up lead to their first real conversation after years of living next door to each other — and an unexpected connection that, for the first time in her life, makes her “lower her walls.”

Written as an intimate exploration of modern isolation, Walls looks at how two people can live side by side for years without ever speaking, and how a single encounter can change that.

“I loved the vision of the director and the film. After a long time, I played a character who is fun-loving, closer to what I’m like in real life. Sheena was a great co-star to work with, as I’ve always felt she’s a good actor. I also believe that a film is about the people you work with, and there are some really lovely people associated with this project. Because of the people Fraser and Sheena are, is why I said yes to the project.” said Taher Shabbir.

Sheena Chohan said: “Monisha is someone who has built walls around herself after experiencing loss, and what drew me to her was the vulnerability beneath her silence. I loved exploring the journey of a woman who has become disconnected from the world around her, and what happens when someone unexpectedly reaches through that distance. Working with Taher was a wonderful experience — he brought such warmth, spontaneity and playfulness to Ekansh. Fraser had a very clear and sensitive vision for the film, and I connected deeply with the story because it reflects something so universal: how easy it is to feel alone even when people are physically right beside us.”

Fraser Scott, the writer and director, said: “I wrote Walls because the old walls in Versova are crashing down with new, taller ones constructed in their place. It makes a fascinating setting to shoot in —monuments, like memories of a once fisherman’s village, swaying in the ocean wind before crumbling into dust. These, once-in-multiple-generations visuals, inspired me to look at what the crumbling walls represented in terms of barriers between people, and write on the subject of modern day isolation. I was so grateful that this story about disconnection, connected immediately with Taher, Sheena, Suchitra Pillai, Pranjal Picha, Prashant Ingole and Sam Das and they immediately boarded the project and filmed it in record time, before the demolition of the building we shot in could begin! Taher, Sheena and Suchitra’s performance was phenomenal, with each of them deeply understanding and fitting into their characters, breathing life into a story which Pranjal lit and shot so realistically, Prashant lifted with his poetic music and Sam helped design so well. It’s a story that in modern days, we can all understand, so I can’t wait to release it to the world.”

The film is co-produced by Vedic Productions and RAT Films. Pranjal Picha serves as Director of Photography, with Suchitra Pillai lending her voice to the antagonist, music by Prashant Ingole and Sam Das as Creative Producer.

The producers added: “We have a great cast led by Sheena Chohan and Taher Shabbir, who will ignite the screen in this drama with layers of depth, brought to life by writer-director Fraser Scott. Walls is a story rooted in real human experiences and reflects something deeply relevant to the world we live in today. The film is currently in post-production and gearing up for its national release, international film festival run, and eventual OTT release. We cannot wait to introduce this fantastic project to our national and global audiences.”

Photo credit: Sandesh