Our mothers have always lied to us. “No, I am not hungry, you eat it”. “You can take the last piece; I don’t like it anyway”. Remember the last time you said ‘Ah’ while your mother was eating and she happily fed you that last bite smiling? Mothers always put their children and families before themselves sacrificing their dreams and desires. Mothers are supposed to sacrifice and they are never supposed to be selfish. To begin with, a woman is never given a chance to choose if she wants to be a mother or not. The world we live in today fails to understand that motherhood is not as objective as it seems to be. Motherhood is felt and experienced differently by different people. Motherhood is not merely biological; it is an emotion. Beans Aloo is a short film that discusses the experience of motherhood and the choices of modern women about being a mother, which is a dialogue between every mother and mother-to-be. 

Beans Aloo: The Plot

The film opens with the mother cooking her married daughter’s favourite dish. While eating the mother and daughter duo have a casual conversation which takes a diversion when the mother brings in the concept of babies to the table. The daughter on the other hand shows complete disinterest in the topic ends up announcing that she does not want to give birth to a child. The mother is concerned and agitated hearing this and keeps reiterating the difficulties of having a child even after years of planning.

As the film progresses the conversation is no longer about the mother and daughter but about what the others think about the daughter not having a child and how society has already started labelling the couple impotent. But the daughter is least bothered about what the others have got to say but is clearly upset because her mother did not stand up for her when the others ill-mouthed her daughter. 

The narrative in the film slowly shifts, as the daughter emphasises the difficulty of raising a child safe and protected in a cruel world like today. But the mother does not give up, she tells the daughter about the beauty of motherhood. But the daughter points out how she sacrificed eating her favourite beans aloo just because her kids hated it. The daughter then tells her mother that she does not have to push a baby out of her to be a mother but she can still experience motherhood. 

When the question “Who will take care of you in your old age?” is thrown at the daughter, she reassures her mother that she will adopt a child if it is really necessary. The film ends with the mother accepting the concept of adoption and finally deciding to cook her favourite beans aloo. 

The Takeaway

We live in a social setting that still reduces the entire existence of a woman to just a reproductive machine that produces babies for the continuation of their family lineages. “A woman truly becomes a woman only after she becomes a mother” is a common phrase that is shown in various Indian films and media to portray the backward mindset of society. But this short film was different, it showed the progress we are making in accepting and acknowledging the choices that today’s women want to make. It is really heartwarming to encounter our parents and family breaking the stereotypes about women and motherhood. Beans Aloo is a film that will bring a smile to everybody’s face.

The reality of poverty is not lost on us, but rarely do we truly factor in the devastating effects of poverty. Hunger and starvation are often considered synonymous with poverty. The struggle of trying to survive is the first one that a person stricken with poverty needs to get over before even considering thriving. Love, friends, and family all take a backseat when your primal urges such as hunger remain unsatiated. And that’s exactly the kind of harsh reality that the short film, Panchwa Paratha highlights.

Panchwa Paratha: A Closer Look

Directed by Sanjay Gupta, the film Panchwa Paratha is set in the early years of India before the horror of the Emergency unfolded. Set in 1972, Kanpur, the film focuses on just one family of four living in rather dilapidated conditions and trying to get by each day with whatever they earn that day. A simple story of a family trying to make ends meet with a happy smile soon takes a turn for the worse as poverty brings out the worst in everyone. 

The climax of the film Panchwa Paratha is what is bound to make you stare and ponder out of the window for the rest of the night. The way the director has built up the anticipation to the very last minute and the expression of anguish and sadness on the faces of the actors convey certain emotions so deep that it’s hard to comprehend them in a few words. The beauty of this entire film is the simplicity of it all. With one or two settings and simple dialogues, the film Panchwa Paratha managed to touch even the ruthless and careless hearts.

Keeping everything simple is not an easy ball game especially when it comes to films but making it interesting with characters that carry more depth with their facial expressions than their words will surely make a film a hit. And that’s exactly what Panchwa Paratha did with their exceptional cast and simple dialogues.

Afterword

Panchwa Paratha will arouse a cocktail of emotions in a person. Ranging from pity to sadness to horror, it is bound to keep you on the edge of your seats. A simple act of a poverty-stricken person will haunt you for generations to come.

In a society where from an early age we are told, “health is wealth”, in reality, we rarely get to practice it in real-time. Most of the time the health that people ask you to take care of are all that can be seen or things that one shouldn’t be ashamed of. But what about the “Gupta Roga” (hidden illness)? Issues related to reproduction and illness related to the genitals are often kept hush-hush due to a lack of sex education. In a country like India with the highest number of people in the world, it is important that these issues are addressed as soon as possible. The short film Gupta Roga does just that but in a rather humorous way.

Gupta Roga: A Closer Look

A wholesomely humorous way to educate the masses, Gupta Roga ensures that it raises awareness about sex-related issues while not making anybody feel uncomfortable. Rather the film, Gupta Roga makes it a point to raise the issue about how critical issues related to sex are usually kept hidden to “save one’s face”, and questions the morality of such a sentiment as it often leads to the spread of misconceptions which may at times prove fatal.

Given how uncomfortable Indians or a conservative society often get at the thought of getting educated about something as intimate as genitals the film, Gupta Roga with its funny and innovative way managed to make the entire setting more palatable for people coming from such conservative upbringing. Touching subjects about how the birth and even sex of a child is not entirely the women’s fault to addressing misconceptions people harbour towards PCOS and conception, the film, Gupta Roga raises awareness about all the critical issues that currently plague the people of today. 

The acting of the main doctor could have been improved to make it seem more natural but overall the roles carried out by different actors portraying different characters that were plagued with illnesses were so natural and well done that they genuinely seemed like people who were in dire need of help. 

Afterword

There will always be certain illnesses that society may force you to hide or shame you for having. And that’s when art such as short films like Gupta Roga stepped in to change the narrative for good. A wholesome humorous film with a strong message makes Gupta Roga a must-watch.

The short film, Signature offers a poignant analysis of the various challenges and complexities experienced by Lata, a widow, as she navigates the aftermath of her husband’s passing and her determined pursuit to educate her daughter. Directed by Ankit Agrawal, this impactful work delves deeply into the intricate emotional and societal dynamics that shape Lata’s journey. The film’s narrative provides a compelling and insightful portrayal of the struggles and resilience of a widow as she strives to create a brighter future for her child through the transformative power of education, despite the various societal and cultural barriers she must overcome.

Plot

The film opens with Lata (Pratibha Vishwakarma) sitting in front of a wall that prohibits sitting. She then goes to pick up her daughter, Yashwi (Arya Chaudhari), from school. At home, Yashwi innocently asks Lata about the difference between a pen and a pencil, but Lata avoids the question, redirecting Yashwi to ask her teacher instead. Lata, who is a widow, is shown to be struggling to make Yashwi a successful and educated girl, despite her own inadequacies. She sews and stitches clothes for their daily living, often working long hours to provide for her daughter.

The narrative then shifts to Lata receiving a letter that she hesitates to read, revealing to the audience that she is likely illiterate. Yashwi, unaware of her mother’s struggle, cannot comprehend Lata’s atypical behavior, such as using a thumb print rather than a signature when visiting the bank to read a pension letter or when signing Yashwi’s school marksheet. This prompts judgmental remarks from other students, which deeply wounds Lata’s self-confidence. Determined to improve her situation, Lata endeavors to educate herself, with Yashwi’s gradual understanding and support. Despite the challenges, Lata’s unwavering commitment to making Yashwi a successful and educated girl shines through, a testament to her resilience in the face of societal prejudices and patriarchal constraints.

Signature: Discussion

The film shows how traditional norms and societal biases against widows have hurt Lata’s confidence and limited her education. It explores the challenges widows face in Indian society through Lata, who must navigate life alone after her husband’s passing. The fact that she can get a pension is good news for Lata, as it provides some financial stability during this difficult time. However, the film gently touches on the deeper difficulties widows in India face due to deep-rooted patriarchal structures that often leave them marginalized and without support.

Overcoming these challenges takes great strength, determination, and support from loved ones. Lata’s story is a poignant reminder of the transformative power of education and the need to break down the systemic barriers preventing women, especially widows, from accessing educational opportunities. The film also looks at the family dynamics as Lata strives to provide a better future for her daughter Yashwi through education. Lata’s unwavering commitment to Yashwi’s education reflects her desire to end the cycle of oppression and ensure her daughter has the opportunities she was denied, in the hopes of creating a more equitable future.

Click here to watch the movie : Signature Short Film

Languages are man-made. If a certain group of people have an idea about certain sounds and associate it with some meaning, a language is invented. The invention of a language may be due to practical reasons for communication, but once it comes in contact with people and culture, it transcends beyond just communication. As humans, we have a habit of giving meaning to everything around us, and hence language is no different. But what happens when a culture begins to forget the value of its language? That’s exactly what the short film Byaase Sunucha tries to capture.

Byaase Sunucha: A Closer Look

Written and directed by Sidharth Goutam, the setting of the film Byaase Sunucha is pretty simple. In fact, the entire film starts and ends on the pavement next to a painting of the pioneer of Odia literature Byaasakabi Fakir Mohan Senapati. In the film Byaase Sunucha, an anonymous artist played by well-known Odia actor Dipanwit Dashmohapatra creates the picture of Fakir Mohan Senapati on a wall next to the pavement and begins his lament about the loss of identity of Odia language.

Starting off, Byaase Sunucha may seem like a regular film where an artist is lamenting the death of a language and culture. But it’s only when you pay close attention to the words and the argument that you realise that this lament goes beyond an artist’s aspiration to be recognised. It captures the anxiety that any modern Odia person may grapple with over the loss of their language and cultural identity. It’s the anxiety that every Odia faces about their culture, especially when they are exposed to another culture and forced to assimilate into the other culture to blend in. The film delves much deeper than the worries of a hungry artist.

What stands out the most about the film is the way the dialogues are delivered with such emphasis by Dipanwit Dashmohapatra that they are bound to ring in your ears hours after the film has ended. Also, the way the actor makes use of the location and the movements of passersby adds to the gravity of the situation. It highlights the director’s and actor’s brilliance in managing to make an unscripted moment look like a scripted one. The climax of the film is bound to hit home.

Afterword

Dealing with the anxiety over losing their Odia culture and language, Byaase Sunucha brings the pioneer of the Odia language to the debate table to defend his own language. But alas! Having left the language at the hands of his Odia descendants, the pedestal that Fakir Mohan Senapati had once created for his language, Odia is no longer in the same shiny, prestigious condition. The very fact that, as an Odia, I have to write about my beautiful language in English is a testament to the condition of the pedestal today that Fakir Mohan Senapati once created for his language. It’s a must-watch if you wish to learn about the rich history and current condition of the Odia language, which is deeply rooted in the Odia culture.