Call on Hold is a short film produced in New Zealand. This short story follows the journey of an immigrant janitor who’s on hold in a call with immigration authorities.

Ajith is an immigrant in New Zealand, working in an office building as a Janitor. He is on the last day of his visa, rendering him unable to work from the next day. In a last-ditch effort, he makes a call to the immigration office, where he’s placed on hold. As he remains on hold, he goes through what could possibly be his last day of work for a while. Going through the usual shift, he notices the stark difference between him and the employers he works for. He tries to put on a brave front, relying into old messages with his partner to keep his morale up.

After about three hours on hold, his call gets answered, with an agent coming online. He elaborates his situation to them only for them to reveal that there’s nothing they can do. With his last ditch effort proving a failure, he goes back to his shift, only to be confronted with a disgusting sight, rendering repulsed and powerless. Hitting rock bottom, he recalls his partner’s words as he musters some hope, going back to finishing his shift.

There is a prevailing thought that came to my mind when I was working on this film. The idea that I need the people watching the film to put themselves in this experience. That became the core drive behind this film. The idea of creating a narrative where the person watching the film is able to understand the harrowing experience of being an immigrant.

Films have always fascinated me. While it is a very subjective medium, you always find something in every movie that resonates with you. One such film that really resonated with me was Spotlight (2015). Spotlight is specified as a thriller in its genre. But beneath all the layers of thrillers, you see a deeply human story. One of pain and suffering that the victims of the system have faced over the years.

One of the key things that Spotlight talks about is how the crime is not just about the perpetrators, but it is indicative of the failings of the whole system. That is the main objective behind this story. To question the system and its failings in the simplest way possible.

Call on Hold in that sense is a mere observation on the agony and helplessness that seeps into your existence as an immigrant. We have accomplished this by using the second person narrative and using an immersive cinematography style, allowing for the viewer to feel the presence of the character, without having to actually see him..

On a script level, this was a challenging experience, specifically to identify the best way to use the narrative tool of second person perspective. We have achieved this by using the context of a work shift and the character being on hold during a call. This allowed us to set the premise effectively while giving the room to add further observations, keeping it still within a realistic tone. Using my own experience as an immigrant and as a janitor, I was able to channel all my observations and experiences into the narrative to keep it authentic.

One of the key inspirations for this story was the film, “Gully Boy”, written by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, directed by Zoya Akhtar. I was particularly inspired by one exceptional scene in this film, where the lead character of the film, Murad, who’s working as a driver is sitting in his owner’s car, proclaiming to himself that, “His time will come”. This moment in the film showcases the disparity between Murad and the people he works for, while also talking about that sliver of hope that he holds onto desperately. That is one of the crucial inspirations for my story, that hint of hope in humans in the darkest place.

Call on Hold is the story of all immigrants. Their anguish, pain and struggles. A testament to the actual circumstances and difficulties that immigrants face on a daily basis. And I carry that responsibility with me as I tackle this mammoth of a task and I want to put my best foot forward to bring this to life. Especially as an immigrant myself.