Exclusive | Bejoy Nambiar-Backed ‘Duet’, Starring Sidhant Gupta and Directed by Sheetal Menon, Becomes First Short Film to Release on Spotify

Filmmaker Sheetal Menon’s sophomore directorial Duet, headlined by Sidhant Gupta, has officially found a home. Crafted as a deeply intimate and ambitiously cinematic short film, Duet will premiere on July 30 on Spotify, marking a milestone as the platform’s first-ever short film release. The project is backed by acclaimed filmmaker Bejoy Nambiar.

Produced under the Getaway Pictures banner, with a screenplay co-written by Arpita Chatterjee and Menon (who also conceptualised the story), Duet follows the poignant journey of a pianist who, amid the isolating backdrop of a global pandemic, is left grappling with the sudden loss of his estranged brother. The short will also stream on Getaway Pictures’ YouTube channel.

“The film grew out of a very specific kind of grief… the isolation so many of us felt during the pandemic,” says Menon about Duet, which sees Gupta immerse himself into the character of a fractured musician. The narrative tracks his struggle to come to terms with his brother's passing until an inexplicable musical connection pulls him back toward hope.

Menon said, “For any storyteller, the moment of sharing a film with the world is almost impossible to put into words. Duet took far longer than I had ever imagined, and there were many moments when I questioned whether I should keep going. But the story kept gnawing at me and refused to leave me. Today more than anything, this films release is a reminder to never give up on a story you truly believe in”.

Calling Duet a “journey from the darkest moment to the kiss of light,” Gupta said Duet came to him after his acclaimed Prime Video series Jubilee and the story "never left" him. “I have always wondered what a person must be going through internally when giving up on life seems easier than living another day. What is that level of pain that’s beyond any help in someone’s head?"

Filmmaker-producer Nambiar called Duet a “monumental labor of love” from writer-director Menon and said, “In just her second film, Sheetal, alongside an incredible cast and crew, has pulled off something both deeply intimate and ambitiously cinematic."

Featuring special appearances by Sayani Gupta and Puja Sarup, Duet has been lensed by cinematographer Siddharth Srinivasan and edited by Prakash Kurup, with sound design by Moinak Bose, whose immersive soundscape plays a vital role in the film’s emotional and atmospheric world.

The film’s evocative score is composed by Sid Acharya. The project features notable global compositions, including “Delusion – III Delicat Avec Passion” by Eric Christian (New York) and “The Hourglass” by Ben Crosland (London), with a featured violin performance by Tineke de Jong (London).