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Declined by KylieTastic 2 months ago. Last edited by KylieTastic 2 months ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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“Barracuda!” is a 2025 short film written, directed, produced, filmed, and edited by Nihal Nowshad. The film stars Mayank Bhardwaj as Karma, a former hitman grappling with aging and confronting his past demons, and Gautam Rajput as Time, The Western Devil. The narrative delves into themes of purpose and redemption. Notably, Nowshad and Bhardwaj previously collaborated on the short film “Hukum” in 2024. “Barracuda!” is scheduled for release on June 7, 2025, in India.

Plot

Barracuda!
Barracuda!
	Digital Release Poster
Directed by	Nihal Nowshad
Written by	Nihal Nowshad
Produced by	Nowshad Hassan Nihal Nowshad
Starring	Mayank Bhardwaj Gautam Rajpoot
Cinematography	Nihal Nowshad
Edited by	Nihal Nowshad
Production; company	Bandai Pippin Films
Release date	7 June 2025
Running time	10
Country	India
Language	English

Barracuda! follows Karma, a former hitman now living in complete isolation, consumed by the weight of his past. Trapped within the confines of a dim, decaying room, Karma has abandoned the world outside, creating a prison of both space and mind. Haunted by guilt and stripped of any illusions of redemption, he exists as a shell of a man—bereft of purpose, drowning in silence.

His monotonous solitude is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious figure named Time, an enigmatic presence who claims to always be “right fucking on time.” Dressed in the garb of the Wild West and speaking in riddles, Time is both antagonist and mirror, embodying confrontation rather than comfort. He is not death, but revelation—forcing Karma to face truths he has long buried.

What unfolds is not a conventional battle, but an intense ideological clash. Karma clings to his isolation, convinced that avoiding the world shields him from further harm and introspection. Time, however, challenges this delusion, revealing that stepping out offers not salvation but brutal clarity—there is no grand meaning, no cosmic redemption, only the stark reality of a forgotten existence.

As the two men engage in a psychological standoff, the room transforms into a battlefield of memory, regret, and denial. Barracuda! ultimately rejects the notion of a redemptive arc. There are no heroes, no victors—only the quiet devastation of two souls suspended in time, searching for meaning in a world that has already moved on without them.

Cast

Mayank Bhardwaj as Karma, The Myth
Gautam Rajput as Time, The Western Devil
Chocolate Frosted Cake as The 'Happy Olding' Cake
TVS Ronin as 'The Ride of Karma' Bike
'Cowboy Clint Eastwood' Pretend Hat as 'A Hat as Old as Time!' Cowboy Hat
The Ying-Yang Ring as 'The Ring of Duality'
Chotti Advance as 'The Blood Cigarette'

Production

Pre-Production

Pre-production for 'Barracuda!' officially commenced on 1 November 2024, with an early focus on experimenting with the visual and performative identity of the film’s titular character. Initial concepts presented the protagonist in a fully buttoned-up shirt, wearing glasses, and speaking in a thick Southern American accent. However, this approach was eventually scrapped in favor of a more stripped-down, existential portrayal. The decision stemmed from a desire to better align the character’s appearance and demeanor with the film’s thematic ethos—one centered on introspection, the weight of past violence, and the erosion of identity. This shift reflected a larger narrative and stylistic vision in which the protagonist is not meant to be stylized or “cool,” but instead a raw, hollow shell of a man, trapped in a liminal psychological space.

Conversely, the look of the film’s antagonist—known only as “Time”—was conceived as a cinematic homage to the Western anti-hero archetype. His visual design drew direct inspiration from icons such as Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name”, the Lone Ranger, and the mythic cowboys of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci’s Spaghetti Westerns. Dressed in a distinct Western-style outfit, Time functions as both a narrative contrast and thematic counterbalance to the protagonist: not a bringer of death, but of revelation.

From its inception, Barracuda! was envisioned with a deeply stylized and referential tone. Its aesthetic identity and creative choices were heavily influenced by the works of Quentin Tarantino, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, and Sergio Corbucci. The film borrows extensively from their iconic works, including Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Django (1966), Django Unchained, Dirty Harry, The Dollars Trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Unforgiven, and the Indian classic Sholay. These influences are evident across the film’s music choices, editing patterns, framing, and genre cues, with each creative decision aimed at paying homage while crafting a unique, stylized narrative voice.

Filming

Principal photography for Barracuda! began on 23 November 2024 and wrapped in just three days, on 26 November 2024, making it a swift and focused production. A reshoot was conducted on 5 December 2024, specifically to revise a key musical-performative sequence—a segment pivotal to the film’s thematic tone and stylistic rhythm. This sequence was reimagined during post-production discussions to better serve the narrative’s tonal progression and symbolic depth.

The film was shot chronologically, adhering closely to its internal structure which is divided into two chapters:

Chapter One: To Die a Dog’s Death!
Chapter Two: To Lead a Wicked Life! (originally titled To Lead a King’s Life)

This chaptered approach, a nod to Tarantino’s storytelling style, allowed the cast and crew to immerse themselves in the evolving psychological states of the characters as the narrative unfolded. The chronological shoot also helped emphasize the duality and internal conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, grounding their ideological battle in a tightly woven visual arc.

Release

Barracuda was officially announced on 16 December 2024 via the Bandai Pippin Films Instagram account. Initially referred to as BP#04—marking the fourth production by the independent film banner—the project’s official title was revealed on 19 December 2024 alongside the first look poster. The early promotional material leaned into a cryptic, visually distinctive campaign that reflected the film’s stylized identity.

The film was originally scheduled for release on 31 January 2025. However, the date was postponed due to ongoing post-production refinements. Despite a lack of major announcements through February, the team continued work behind the scenes, occasionally releasing promotional material to maintain public interest. On 2 March 2025, a teaser promo titled The Release Cut was shared, announcing a March release window, tentatively targeting 30 March 2025.

Production delays further affected the release as director Nihal Nowshad and lead actor Mayank Bhardwaj began pre-production work on a separate film, with Bhardwaj taking the directorial lead and Nowshad serving as cinematographer and co-writer alongside Tannavi Sharma. Following the completion of that project in early May 2025, full post-production resumed on Barracuda.

A private test screening of the film’s first cut was held on 6 May 2025 at the Amity School of Film and Drama, attended by students and faculty. After gathering feedback, the team made final changes, ultimately locking the film for a public release on 7 June 2025 on the 'Bandai Pippin' YouTube Channel.

Reception

The focus group screening on 6 May 2025 was met with strongly positive reception. Attendees praised the film’s bold stylistic approach, thematic ambition, and its self-reflexive commentary on cinema itself—leading to it being hailed as “one of the best films to come out of the Amity School of Film and Drama.” The direction, cinematography, and editing style were widely celebrated, with many citing its homage-laden visual language as a standout achievement.

However, the film was not without its critiques. The ending was singled out as its weakest point, with several viewers expressing that the narrative resolution felt abrupt or lacking in emotional closure. Additionally, the dialogue received mixed feedback—admired by some for its poetic and cryptic tone, while others found it overly abstract and disconnected from the immediate context of the plot, serving more to heighten the film’s stylistic ethos than to advance the narrative.

Despite these criticisms, Barracuda remains a highly anticipated independent short, with its final release expected to spark significant interest within film school circuits and short film festival audiences.