There has been a recent surge in mainstream films set in small cities of Northern India.
However, in ‘Bareilly ki Barfi’ (an otherwise good film), when Kriti Sanon smokes a cigarette
sitting on her rooftop with her father, she does not have to think log kya kahenge?. Most of
these films do not tackle the actual hardships of living in these cities. The burden of living in a
society where it dictates your personal life to the point of absurdity is perhaps not a suitable
topic for entertaining cinema. 

Kislay’s ‘Aise Hee’ has proven it can be done. It is a film about an elderly woman in Allahabad
(later Prayagraj) who, after the death of her husband, begins to live her life on her own terms.
The husband, however, is a looming shadow in the film, his absence the driving force.

<h2>Little scenes in the first act brilliantly build this up. Earlier on, we see her younger family
members scrounging for colourful sarees in her wardrobe that she would no longer need. Her
son and daughter-in-law diligently plan to give her room on rent for extra money. The locals
respect her for being a lawful wife, and by extension, expect her to be the perfect widow. </h2>

When she breaks away from the norm, society is not ready to handle it. Until then, perhaps
her presence was little more than a venerated idol in the house. Stones don’t require people to
change their lives for them. Kislay’s brilliant screenplay follows her journey in every aspect - in its
pacing, its momentum and its interaction with side plots.

<h2>The film is more than her story. It slowly, but surely develops into a competent social and
political commentary, and a story of a middle class family struggling to keep their lives
functional. Her son, brilliantly portrayed by Harish Khanna, struggles with the uncertainty of
contractual government jobs. When we see him burst out in anger at his family, we see his
frustrations. It is apparent that his professional life is confined to being a yes man to a boss who
couldn’t care less, trying to find work in an industry he clearly cannot understand.</h2>

Another brilliant moment comes in the character sketch of his wife, she finds her kitchen in
disarray, only to see her apathetic daughter coming in and nonchalantly contributing to the
mess. She bursts out in tears as she cleans it. 

A strong subsidiary plot is set in the backdrop of radicalisation of youth as Allahabad becomes
Prayagraj. ‘Aise Hee’ is able to comment on class relations, religious tension and misogyny in a
multi-layered narrative that is ultimately the struggle of a family to keep itself together in a
disintegrating society. 

All characters fall victim to their circumstances in their own way. Kislay compounds it with collages of their real
pictures from a life of ‘innocence’ as he completes their character sketches while Schubert’s C
minor symphony plays in the background. 

The filmmaking is relentless, unnerving, yet intimate. The camera understands its characters,
and never judges. There are no clear blacks and whites in their bleak world. In a sense what we
do not see in the film is worse. Kislay has presented a world at the brink of a fallout, desperately
clutching to itself. When we look back, the comedy of errors seems less comic and more ominous with regards to what is to come. It is the story of a degenerating society that might just
crumble, where nothing can be done ‘aise hi’. Well-meaning things have dark repercussions,
and the individual is never free from the dehumanizing grasp of society.

 
Written by Nimish K Sharma

Aise Hee | Review

Trigger warning: The purpose of art is to reflect all that is wrong with society, to trigger thoughts that lead to reformative action. Agli Baar succeeds in doing precisely that - holding up the mirror to a very ugly reality of the world we live in. Not for the emotionally fragile, the short film is for an audience which is willing to swallow the bitter truths of a society divided on the lines of religion, class and a mindlessly rigid sense of community. It further invokes the idea that while we may choose to ignore them and be mute spectators to the wrongs being done around us, we are not immune to the agents of evil which may target us next.

Agli Baar | Short Film of the Day

The film follows a non-linear narrative to give a glimpse into the life of a group of friends preparing to have a little celebration around New Year's time. It juxtaposes a chaotic, anxiety-ridden situation of a hospital, against a potentially cheery night of drinking, fun and frolic. Expectedly, this only serves to involve the viewer deeper into the story. The narrative develops most seamlessly and effortlessly, putting forth its dilemmas and stressors in a convincing manner. It is further embellished with strong performances, notable chemistry between the actors and the perfect capturing of tension that comes to form the core of the film. Attempting an engagement with the ideas of guilt, accountability, carelessness that leads to life-altering disasters, agony and relationship dynamics, Custody proves to be a well-paced, balanced product that remains an engrossing viewing experience throughout.

Custody | Pick of the Festival Circuit

The short film is funny, endearing and moving in equal measure. A teenaged girl gets her first period. While her mother, a gynaecologist, is at work, the only other adult at home is her father. His unpreparedness, but willingness to help, the girl's initial inability to understand what's going on and the mother's successful attempts of normalising menstruation - all fit in the narrative most smoothly. There is a little coming-of-age present hidden away by her mother at home that helps her get past it all, and finally manage to smile. The father, after educating himself using the good, old internet, is also ready with a hot water bottle and a chocolate dessert. In a country like India, where a majority of mothers consider periods 'dirty' and fathers choose to remain unaware, Her First Time carries a relevant message - to accept menstruation as a normal, biological process.

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