A poetic reflection on caste, hunger, and dignity
Short Film | Marathi | 26 minutes | 2025
A poetic reflection on caste, hunger, and dignity
Short Film | Marathi | 26 minutes | 2025
Thali was born out of a memory that has stayed with me since childhood — a simple, painful moment that revealed the deep scars of caste and inequality that still divide us. The story follows Bala, a young boy from a rural village, whose innocent dream of eating a rice plate at a hotel becomes a quiet confrontation with the invisible walls of caste. What seems like a small act — sitting down to eat — turns into a moment of exclusion that defines his understanding of dignity and belonging.
As a filmmaker, I wanted to explore this moment not through anger, but through silence — through the spaces between what is said and what is withheld. Thali is not just about discrimination; it’s about the yearning to be seen as equal, the quiet dignity of a child, and the cruelty of a society that pretends not to see its own prejudice. The film speaks through gestures, glances, and the emptiness that lingers after rejection.
The narrative is deeply personal. Growing up in a small Indian town, I have witnessed such incidents — ordinary yet devastating — where a person’s worth was measured not by their humanity but by their caste.
I wanted to capture that truth with honesty, restraint, and empathy. Every frame of Thali reflects the textures of rural Maharashtra — its dusty roads, its small eateries, its quiet afternoons — to ground the story in realism and memory.
Visually, I chose a minimal, naturalistic style — muted colors, static frames, and ambient sound — to let the audience experience the discomfort without distraction. The film’s emotional rhythm is carried by its silences and the haunting score, evoking the inner world of Bala more than what he can express in words.
Thali is my attempt to hold up a mirror — to question who we are as a society and how we treat those we consider beneath us. It’s also a tribute to resilience, to the countless children who dream beyond the boundaries imposed upon them. Through Bala’s eyes, I hope viewers are reminded that equality is not an abstract idea — it is as simple and essential as being able to share a meal with dignity.
Balaji is a storyteller at heart — a product enthusiast, experience designer, and filmmaker who believes that every design, like every frame in a film, should evoke emotion and meaning.
With over a decade of experience shaping user experiences, Balaji combines logic with lyricism — a balance he discovered early on while studying Applied Arts (BFA) and later refining through a Master’s in Graphic Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), India. His fascination with Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) grew naturally, blending his analytical instincts with a deep sensitivity for visual storytelling.
Since beginning his journey as a UI/UX designer in 2011, Balaji has designed and delivered human-centered experiences across Education, Healthcare, E-Commerce, and Social Impact domains. Each project, for him, is like crafting a narrative — one that helps people connect, learn, and act.
When he steps away from the screen, Balaji turns to filmmaking — writing and directing films that explore human emotions, social realities, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. His creative world often overlaps; the empathy that guides his films fuels his designs, and vice versa.
And when he’s not sketching an interface or storyboarding a scene, you might find him crafting a leather wallet, finishing a long-paused painting, or simply dreaming up the next story to tell — on screen or in experience.
Writer, Director and Producer
Waghmare Balaji Girjabai Raosaheb
Artists
Kabir Khandare
Sambhaji Tangde
Vaishali Kendale
Vaishnavi Tangde
Santosh Vadgir
Aniket Jhodhle
Dr. Maroti Gangawane
Ankush Khandare
Vithal Kamble
Manisha Kamble
Camera
Akash Raje
Screenplay/Pre-Production
Girgit Studios PVT. LTD.
(Avinash Medhe, Anuj Kumar Dev
and Swarup Deb)
Sound Designer
Avinash Sonawane
Music Composer
Dhirendra Mulkalwar
Chief Asst. Director and Editor
Soumil Kothari
EP and Art Director
Santosh Sankhad
Dialogues
Ankush Khandare
Asst. Director
Ashi Pranjali
Sangharsha Sonali Santosh
Colour Grading
Aaryaman Kutty
VFX
Arvind Hatnurkar
Tejas Patil
Focus Pullar
Omkar Bhokaskede
Sound Recordist
Akash Laxman Chaaya
Costume Designer
Sonali Usharatn
Publicity Design
Balaji Waghmare
Mahesh Dhakne
MakeUp
Mangesh Gaikwaad
Acting Director
Mahesh Khandare
Production
Nagesh Dhange
Atish Wakode
Vishal Waghmare
Ganesh Waghmare
Ritesh Waghmare
Namdev Kamble
Asst. Art Director
Pranav Jadhav
Kiran Gaikwaad
Banti Raam
Transportation
Narayan Bansode
Bhaskar Muttanwad
Balaji Wanole
Sandip Kulkarni
Sunil Gorle
Catering
Virbhadra Nayte
Sunita Chaudhary
Camera Assistant
Ajay Nair
Camera Attendant
Debabrata Das
Amit Kumar
Mandeep Kumar
Light Boys
Sameer Khan
Ishrar ansari
Mohammad husain
Vivek Singh
Sunil Kumar
Siyaram Yadav
Gulam Shaikh
Amit Sharma
Pradeep jana
Umesh Yadav
Boom Man
Sujeet tiwari
Rahul Singh
Special Thanks
Girjabai Waghmare
Raosaheb Waghmare
Shivaji Shinde
Pandurang Shinde
Jivan Kamble
Gokul Veg. Restaurent Nanded
ZPH School Manjram
Gram Panchayat Manjram
Ashish Shinde
Vithal Kamble
Dhammpriya Gaikwad
Faruk Ahmad
Solanki Footwear
Kishore Rangnani
Madhav Annapurve
Buddh Vihaar Manjram
Anand Kamble
Buddh Vihar Itwara Nanded
Kishore Jondhale
Bittu Jondhale
Ankush Jondhale
Shivlodhan Gaikwad
Mulnayak Vachnalay
Sharad Pawar and Family
Shankar Raipure
Rohidas Raipure
Ambadas Raipure
Waba Production