Aza | Short Film Nominee

Short Film Nominee February 3, 2021

Aza

By Sonam Pathan with 6.6

drama · Short Films · hindi

Triple talaq, before it was abolished by the Indian government and declared unconstitutional, was a malpractice that ruined lives of innumerable women. The act of giving instant divorce to women by simply saying "talaq" thrice, be it even in a letter or over a phone call, deprived them of any and all agency regarding their fate, and often that of their children.

Additionally, it often allowed men to wash their hands off a responsibility by simply uttering a word, without any reprobation or legal action against them. The film shares the story of one such woman and the struggles of raising her son as a single mother after the husband left her behind for seven years, divorcing her via a letter after five years of this separation.

The narrative offers an empowering, useful comment for women who may have suffered a similar fate as that of our protagonist. Additionally, it is marked by a satisfying closure towards its conclusion with a pertinent message about letting go of your past and moving on. There are moments in the film when the dramatisation of a Muslim identity and household gives in to sentimentalism to the point of endangering authenticity of their language and daily conversations. However, it pulls itself together by the second half which is marked by smoother performances, dialogue, visuals and edit.
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