Title: Story of Every Average Student (2022) Director: Aditya Kelgaonkar Genre(s): Short Duration: 4mins 43sec Cast: Devishi Madaan • Kavita Waadhawan • Tarini Shah Story of Every Average Student explores the life of a very ‘normal’ student, Simran (Devishi Madaan) as she navigates her mundane existence surrounded by class toppers, back benchers, golden-child siblings and overbearing parents. This short film covers themes of life, friendships and school. Story of Every Average Student is a relatable short film which shines a light on the experiences of average students. In the world of academics, the average student is often overshadowed by the class topper or the problem student. This film gives a voice to the overlooked and offers a fresh perspective of everyday experiences that are often taken for granted. For instance, one of the most important lessons someone can learn from an average student is that doing your best is more than enough. When Simran is informed by her older sister that in order to be an architect, she needed have a score above 90, she immediately gets to work, changing her habits, studying hard, incorporating discipline and taking other necessary steps she needed to accomplish her goal. However, despite her best efforts, she barely scores above 75. But instead of lamenting over her marks, she decides to celebrate, knowing that she gave it her best shot. One thing I do not agree with the film is the ending message, where Simran says “Everything can be figured out through hard work.” While hard work is important, sometimes it is better to work smarter instead of harder.