Crime, love gone sour, mythology, and a battle between demons and gods, all form integral parts of this carefully woven film. The narrative, though mainly confined to a single night and the seediness of its shadows, moves back and forth in time to construct the story of primarily three characters - a police officer, a disgruntled lover, and a man who is overwhelmed with financial tribulations. 

Adding to the intrigue is a fourth character, a woman, Mhalsa, who will come to alter the course of the narrative in an irrevocable, lasting manner. She enters the plot at a crucial juncture with a past that connects her to more than one man, a topic of intense discussion by all the men who surround her. 

The cop regales a nervous waiter with a mythological story that will present the most crucial metaphors of the film, ideas of right and wrong, and how more often than not they get reduced to a grey realm of blurred boundaries. A little distance away from him two friends await their third companion who arrives with a disturbing tale of his own. The two parties remain completely oblivious to the third where the man shares his woes with a confidant. 

Notwithstanding a few rough edges in terms of production, particularly in the department of sound, there is a smoothness with which all of these elements are eventually connected. The duration of the film allows it to spend enough time on each subset of the plot without losing pace. The writing becomes a notable aspect of the film, followed by the edit and performances, all of which together give rise to an engaging end result that displays sincerity and investment of thought.

Neelakanta Bar | Short Film Nominee

Positing itself as crime fiction at the start, the film goes ahead to bring in elements of suspense, mystery and unexpected twists. The plot unfolds parallely alongside the mythological story of Neelakanta and the origin of this particular name of the Hindu god Shiva. With metaphors echoing a reality of gods and demons within the plot of the film itself, the viewer is presented with an engaging narrative about greed, lust, heartache, revenge and above all, money. The film chooses an eponymous bar for the majority of its action. As different characters sit exchanging experiences, as well as arguments, oblivious of each other, the audience is allowed a moment of knowledge about their shared fate that transcends their own awareness. Overall, the film becomes a zealous attempt to put forth its plot, marked by some noteworthy performances, and a sincerity of attempt and execution. While it may have begun as a crime story, it further brings in thrill, and elements of abuse and violence to enhance itself, albeit potentially disconcerting for the sensitive viewer. The final product, however, would have benefited from better control on light and shadows in order to have achieved more fine-tuned visuals.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links