The first glimpse into the film’s world establishes a tone of effervescence and lightness. However, one element remains completely out of synchronization with the mood - our protagonist Vinay, played by the inimitable Mohan Agashe. It is his inability to laugh that is the reason behind the very intentional inconsistency. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/w6cLOmXl.jpg"/> 

Fond of hot beverages, be it tea or haldi doodh, Vinay is unable to find laughter within him or in the world around. Parallel to his story, another set of developments are unfolding in the same house. 

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/GqtLZMXl.jpg"/> 
Akash, the younger generation of the household, seems to have secured his own penchant for something, but instead of tea, it’s weed.It is eventually in the overlap of the two preferences that the film presents its final flourish. 
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/NqStgPSl.jpg"/> 

The tonality and approach of the narrative remains unique and refreshing throughout, with the lightness of the ambience, conjured at the start, in tow. Further, a tight control on the dialogue as well as performances enable it to succeed at conveying all its intentions in a seamless manner.

The First Laugh | Short Film of the Month

The film premises itself on a gripping point. It traces backwards to the story which goes on to
become news headlines, especially in our contemporary reality. The way it shows the transformation of the private, the personal, the domestic and the interior, to the public, the social and the exterior, is telling of the filmmaker’s desire to deal with complex conceptual issues with clarity and confidence. 

The entirety of the drama unfolds within a single argument between two people. Without saying anything beyond the heated conversation, the film successfully manages to capture the fractures of a domestic space and its effects on the rest of the family members. 

The manner the noise and the silences are contrasted in the narrative is the most outstanding part of the film. Additionally, though the social message that it wishes to give is urgent, the sense of desperation doesn’t clog up its progression. A seemingly single-shot endeavour, marked by the deliberate intimacy brought in with hand-held visuals, Batmi is a seamlessly
achieved final result, made complete by its powerful, convincing performances.

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