Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali, who are presenting the coming-of-age short film "Bobby Beauty Parlour", have announced its digital premiere date on YouTube. Directed by Shashwat Dwivedi, the 18-min film is set to stream on August 6, 2026, exclusively on the Oh Short Flips YouTube channel starting at midnight.
"Bobby Beauty Parlour" was previously featured as an official selection at prominent independent film events, including the Dharamshala International Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Shashwat Dwivedi based the story loosely on his own teenage years and the bittersweet anxieties of entering adulthood. He co-wrote the script with Janhavi Asthana, who also handled cinematography. Ranjan Singh and Anurag Kashyap are credited as producers. '
The cast list includes Adrija Sinha, Parul Rana, Saksham Raj, and Preeti Kochar. The film plays out entirely on the hottest day of the year inside the closed doors of a neighbourhood beauty salon. It follows two childhood best friends, Eelu and Manu, who end up trapped inside the shop after the owner suffers a heatstroke. Spending their final few hours together drinking, bickering, and napping, the two girls face the imminent anxiety of growing up, confronting their conflicting ambitions, and desperately trying to hold onto a chapter of life that is fast slipping away.
In an official statement, Dwivedi said, "Bobby Beauty Parlour is a reflection of the confused teenage years of my life. Like my characters, I was also hopeful and excited, but also clueless. I made this film to capture the anxiety of growing up and the cost one pays for it. The film is my attempt to turn the lens to something more delicate, something no one else is looking at - Childhood. The intention behind the film was to tell a story that otherwise may remain unsaid if not made today and the way we made it. My team has been a rock-solid support, and we have all added elements from our childhood and inputs about the days that have gone by. Bobby Beauty Parlour is a letter to my younger self who, much like my present self, had no idea how his life would turn out to be."
