New Delhi, May 6 (UNI) Pakhi Tyrewala’s directorial debut short film ‘Kajal’, based on the issues increasingly faced by women in society, had its world premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) 2017 today. The film, which has been talked about for its strong and hard hitting subject for actress Salony Luthra’s brilliant performance, was premiered at NYIFF 2017 as part of the Shorts D package entitled “Life, Death & Tragedies”. ‘Kajal’, which was sent as an entry in the short film category to the NYIFF, one of the most prestigious international film festivals, got rave reviews at the screening. Salony Luthra who has earned accolades for her work and has won a best actress award for her outstanding performance in Tamil film ‘Sarabham’ has established her foothold in the short film space with challenging roles by giving a top notch performance with every film that she does. Her previous work which included Tamil short film ‘Oliyum Oliyum’, had her portray the role of a visually handicapped person who turns her disability into an asset. The film went on to be premiered & lauded at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival. On her film being premiered at the NY Indian film festival, Salony Luthra said, “I believe I’m blessed and lucky to be a part of the projects which are socially relevant and message oriented. The popularity of short films stems from the fact that a strong message can be conveyed in a shorter time. Short films today have a wider reach since the viewership among audiences involved is higher. Many directors in Bollywood and internationally too are venturing into the short film space. And by sending such films to be premiered at festivals, they get a recognition which would eventually help the film reach a wider set of audience worldwide.” Talking about Salony’s noteworthy performance in the film, director Pakhi Tyrewala said, “her strong acting credentials and versatility find their roots from theatre and from the fact that she’s been devoted to her craft. She always believes in pushing herself with every character that she plays without looking at the end result of a film.” UNI AR SNU 1336