Ritopriyo Saha’s short film Chhoti Baarish (Little Rain) is creating ripples across the global festival circuit — from Bangalore to Toronto — marking the rise of a distinctive, poetic voice in Indian independent cinema.

Independent filmmaker Ritopriyo Saha’s short film Chhoti Baarish (Little Rain) is earning global acclaim with nine international festival selections, including IFFSA Toronto 2025 and the Bangalore Shorts Film Festival 2025. The film’s poetic storytelling and emotional realism have positioned Saha as one among promising indie voices. As Chhoti Baarish continues its journey across prestigious festivals, Saha prepares to expand his creative universe with three upcoming feature films. 

Independent filmmaker Ritopriyo Saha’s short film Chhoti Baarish (Little Rain) has quietly evolved into one of the most promising success stories from India’s indie circuit this year. Following multiple international selections, the film has now been officially selected for its ninth festival — the International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) Toronto 2025, scheduled to take place from October 9 to 19, 2025.

This recognition places Saha’s film alongside some of the most acclaimed South Asian works of the year, including Tillotama Shome’s Shadowbox (which premiered at Berlinale 2024), Roya Sadat’s Sima’s Song, Eisha Marjara’s Calorie, Natesh Hegde’s Tiger’s Pond, and Pradipta Bhattacharyya’s The Slow Man and His Raft. For Saha, who represents a younger generation of filmmakers rooted in authenticity and emotional nuance, the selection marks another high point in a steadily ascending creative journey.

A Film that Finds Poetry in the Everyday

Produced under Trippink Talkies, Chhoti Baarish captures the fragile and intimate moments that define human connection — much like the title suggests, a “little rain” that brings quiet renewal. The film’s minimalist storytelling and naturalistic performances have resonated strongly with curators and audiences alike, earning selections at seven film festivals before the recent announcement of its inclusion at IFFSA Toronto.

Earlier this year, Chhoti Baarish was screened at the Bangalore Shorts Film Festival 2025, adding another feather to its cap in an already impressive list of global recognitions. The film has been described as “a tender meditation on memory, loss, and reconciliation,” told through an unhurried lens that celebrates the small, often overlooked details of everyday life.

Saha, who both wrote and directed the short, attributes his inspiration to the rhythms of urban loneliness and the fleeting beauty of monsoon moments. “I wanted to make a film that feels like a pause — like the kind of silence that speaks more than words ever could,” he shared in a recent interview.

From Short Films to Feature-Length Ambitions

While Chhoti Baarish continues to travel the festival circuit, Saha’s creative momentum shows no signs of slowing. The filmmaker is already preparing to step into the feature space, with three upcoming projects currently in development. These feature films, in the filmmakers words, ‘promise to explore themes of intimacy, alienation, and the blurred boundaries between the real and imagined worlds’ — continuing Saha’s fascination with the emotional geography of modern life.

A Voice Resonating Beyond Borders

At the upcoming IFFSA Toronto 2025, Chhoti Baarish will join a rich lineup of over 100 premieres and 40 curated events, bringing together diverse narratives from across the South Asian diaspora. The film’s inclusion reaffirms how Indian independent cinema continues to make waves on international platforms, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries through universal human emotion.

For Ritopriyo Saha, each screening is not merely a milestone but part of a larger conversation about what contemporary Indian cinema can be — subtle, introspective, and deeply human. With its understated narrative, lush visual imagery, and emotional honesty, Chhoti Baarish stands as proof that sometimes the most powerful stories emerge not from thunderous spectacle, but from a quiet drizzle that lingers long after it’s gone.