This article looks at 'Pdingpdoong', a claymation short film created in 2009 at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, by Krishna Chandran A. Nair, Manasi Parikh, Nupur Mukherjee, and Chewang Rinchen Thotup Lepcha. Told through handcrafted stop-motion, it follows two conjoined twins navigating everyday life, accompanied by playful, musical choreography.
With a name as playful and nonsensical as its tone, 'Pdingpdoong' is a claymation short film that captures the joyful absurdity of coexistence. Told through claymation, its story follows two conjoined twins as they move through their daily routine — brushing teeth, getting ready, going to school — learning to share space and a body together. The film is also narratively conjoined to music with each action guided by its beat, turning the simplest gestures into a kind of choreography of daily life. Lighthearted and oddly satisfying, it finds humour and friendship in the companionship of two very different people.
Created in 2009 at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, the film is directed by Krishna Chandran A. Nair, Manasi Parikh, Nupur Mukherjee, and Chewang Rinchen Thotup Lepcha, and was born out of a stop-motion workshop guided by Vaibhav Kumaresh and Sekhar Mukherjee, with original music composed by Roto Shah. In a charming Easter egg, clay puppets of the four creators even appear in the film as the conjoined twins’ classmates.
'Pdingpdoong' is affectionately rooted it is in Indian visual culture. The sets, from the classroom to the household interiors, are unmistakably desi in their motifs and textures. Within the arc of the film, the medium of claymation — a tactile combination of clay and animation, becomes a shining part of its allure as well. Through its handcrafted characters, the film celebrates the process of both making, and sharing with someone.
For director Krishna Chandran, who hails from Kerala and is now based in Indore, 'Pdingpdoong' marked the beginning of a rich journey in animation. Since then, he has directed acclaimed shorts like 'Chandran’s Café' (in association with Arte, France) and 'Funny Fish' — a children’s film produced for Canal+ under the Folimage Young Audience Residency in 2017, which went on to receive nearly 100 festival nominations and 13 awards worldwide. Returning to India in 2018, he has continued to tell Indian stories through animation. His upcoming short, 'Garuda', a psychological drama co-produced by Handmade Films, Mumbai, and Studio Nojo & Co., Strasbourg, is slated for a festival release in mid-2026.
Follow Krishna's work here and watch the film below:
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