Chetham (meaning “decay” in Malayalam) is an animated short that delves into the fragile inner world of a middle-aged man. The story begins when he comes across the body of a dead crow at a busy traffic crossing, an encounter that suddenly overwhelms him and triggers a panic attack. The crow, often seen as a symbol of death, becomes the starting point for his spiralling fear of mortality and the passage of time. As the panic deepens, he is confronted not only with the oppressive environment around him but also with himself at different stages of life. His younger child self appears, unburdened and fearless, a stark contrast to his weary present self. At the other end, he also glimpses his old, dead self, a haunting reminder of the inevitability of decay.