Mumbai: Acclaimed filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vasan Bala have joined hands to present Aakhri Ride, billed as a tense, atmospheric thriller. Scheduled to release on Halloween, October 31, the short film is written and directed by debutants Vijesh Rajan and Yashoda Parthasarthy and produced by Ranjan Singh, Vishesh Agrawal, Rajan EPK and Kashyap.
The short features Chandan Roy (Panchayat) and Aamir Dalvi (Kennedy), alongside Faisal Malik (Panchayat) in a special role.
The Story
Aakhri Ride follows a character-driven narrative centred on a Mumbai ride-share driver pushed to the ultimate edge over the course of one desperate, chilling night. The film will release on the YouTube channel Oh Short Flips, which is curated by Kashyap.
Kashyap on Backing the Debutants
Speaking about backing the directors, Kashyap shared: “I have worked with Vijesh & Yashoda from GoW days and always believed they are excellent storytellers with a unique visual language. So when they finally decided to turn writer-directors, it was an easy decision to back them. And now, I am quite excited to see the audience’s response to their first film — Aakhri Ride — when it releases on Halloween Day.”
‘Quirky and With a Beating Heart’
Calling the short “quirky and with a beating heart,” Vasan Bala said: “Vijesh was the Wiz Kid we were introduced to by filmmaker Srinivas. We were always in awe of what he could do with his VFX skills but there was always a sensitive and fun storyteller in him. When he and Yashoda went to make the film, we all rooted for them. I was beyond excited to watch their short film. Coming on board was a nano-second decision, a no-brainer.”
The Real-Life Inspiration
Detailing the inspiration behind the film, writer-directors Rajan and Parthasarthy said Aakhri Ride grew out of their long cab journeys home from meetings across Mumbai.
“We’d be sitting in the back seat, talking about work or sitting in silence, while the driver was often carrying a completely different world on his phone: family back home, money worries, things we may never fully know. We began to notice an invisible social divide: we were enjoying the comfort of being driven home, while he was trying to make ends meet. We shared a small space, but knew so little about each other’s lives,” they said.
“That distance stayed with us, and we wanted to explore it through horror and humour: the idea of a man so consumed by everyday troubles that he doesn’t notice what he’s picked up. We hope viewers laugh, get spooked, and maybe think a little about the person driving them home.”
Festival Run
Backed by Navaras Pictures, in association with Plexus Motion Pictures and Flip Films, Aakhri Ride has completed a global festival sweep, securing selections across major genre hubs, Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying platforms, and market showcases worldwide.
