There are films that you watch to be entertained - films that you watch mindlessly, whose fictional
universes you can escape to with no demands to remain grounded in your reality. Bhonsle is not
that film. It is impossible to disentangle yourself from the characters on screen, or the situations
they find themselves in. While newspaper headlines talk about the Marathi language being made compulsory in all Indian schools, and Delhi struggles to recover from the stomach-churning communal violence of February, watching the petty game of politics and bigoted
hatred between the Maharashtrian and Bihari communities play out in the film, and
slowly escalate into something dark and twisted, just feels like an extension of our own
reality.


<h2>The film is loaded with symbolism, but never leans on them. Its aesthetic, pregnant with poignancy,
blends easily with the story. 

The fleshed-out characters and tumultuous contexts are complemented with perfect mise-en-scènes – it is evident that nothing in the frame is accidental. </h2>

A symbol that runs
through the film as a comparative thread to Bajpayee’s Bhonsle is that of Lord Ganesh, or
rather, his idols. The opening scene oscillates between close up shots of an idol of the god being
made and brought to life, and a resigned Bhonsle preparing to go home, leaving behind the only life
he’s ever known, after his last day at his job at the police station. As he wearily unbuttons his faded,
old uniform, a brand new silk cloth is draped over Ganpati’s torso, as he unpins his badge and
shoulder straps, a shiny, silver armband is put on the idol, as he takes off his police hat, a bedazzled
crown is placed on the idol’s head.



<h2>The interpretations can be infinite, but one thing is certain – the iconic, historic figure in Indian
and Maratha history, Shivaji Bhosale, might have valued and popularised the worship of Ganesha and the celebration of the Ganpati festival, but Bhonsle himself feels no desire to model his
ancestor. </h2>
Bhonsle refuses to prioritise religious or communal demands over his
humanity and kindness. He refuses to partake in hostile, discriminatory, and violent behaviour in the
name of his community’s God. Communal strife and violence in the name of religion doesn’t stop until
it has taken everything from the disembodied, dismembered body and soul, as is clear in the
film.

 

The number of dialogues Bajpayee has in the film is probably restricted to single digits – he is
silent, and more stagnant than stationary, for most of the film. His performance is, even then, one
that is bound to stand out and stay in your mind for a long time to come. His movements are weary
and languid, but his eyes are arrestingly expressive, and his moustache even more so. His facial
muscles strain, quiver and fall disappointedly, so that you wonder why films ever needed dialogues
to convey emotions.

 

Bhonsle is a film that feels as liberating at certain points as it is suffocating in others. The
cinematography is exquisite and the performances not only engaging, but memorable. It will make
you want to hug the screen, then promptly scream at it. Bhonsle is a film that you not only watch, but
experience – it’s only horrifying that the experience is one that we continue to live in even after we
exit the theatre.


 
Written by Sanjana Bhagwat

Bhonsle | Manoj Bajpayee | Review

This Rajkumar Rao-starrer will leave you gasping for breath by the end of it. Remind yourself to not feel choked by the futility of human conflict, often arising out of empty causes we lead ourselves to believe in. This brilliant short-film further shows that, if deluded, people can behave in the most absurd, cruel manner. Bombay Mirror leaves the audience with a powerful message, that some things ARE very obviously black and white and should be openly condemned. Watch this Shlok Sharma piece of art to find out what they are.

Bombay Mirror | Short Film of the Day

In an ideal world, all religions have one name and that's faith. It unites all devotees and believers with a common thread, and this short film gives us a glimpse of this perfect universe. Hind takes the viewer into the life of Noorul Hasan, a Muslim from Lucknow, who gave away a part of his house to rebuild a temple. In a world which is constantly in the grasp of hate-mongering and sensationalist headlines, this film by Sumit Aroraa is the kind of art we need. Even in the face of all communal disharmony being perpetrated by a few for their own motives, there is another aspect of the picture which is more colourful and beautiful and therefore should be looked at closely. It's these colours that Hind will draw your attention to, and leave you with a sense of hope and love, irrespective of how dark things may seem.

Hind | Short Film of the Day

In a country that's premised on secularism, can people's identity be chalked down to a single religion? The short film seems to suggest it can be indeed, but in quite an unpredictable manner. The strengths of One Faith are several - from elegant visuals to smooth transitions, from adept writing to its inability to hold the viewer's attention. The narrative also earns full points for having an endearing twist at the end. The short film thus becomes a wholesome product to be consumed on a gloomy day to rekindle your faith in mankind's ability to be kind, make friends, and above all, not take things too seriously.

One Faith | Short Film of the Day

It’s a lovely winter morning in Kashmir when Haleema meets her close friend Tara. As the two women sit down to chat, share a moment and eventually go about the town, arm in arm with each other, a bond marked by intimacy and deep affection is conjured for the viewer. 
The tonality and writing is deliberately suffused with warmth and an uplifting delineation of a friendship. However, tragedy is swift to strike, and in this sudden reversal of fortune, the narrative offers its core message to the viewer. 
Without meandering into overt sentimentalism, the film presents its comment on the mindlessness of a form of violence that is executed in the name of imagined boundaries of religion and communal differences. The vagaries of life are put under question, as the hope, and the voice which stood for it, is silenced with a brutal act of cruelty. The storytelling, and performance both show earnestness, thereby, allowing the film lucidity in communicating its message to you.

The Good News | Short Film Nominee

The short film could be about a lot of things, but essentially, it can all be condensed to a father's love for his children. While the love for his son might harden his heart in one situation, the love for his daughter melts it into warmth and affection in another. Made in honour of Major Udai Singh, an Indian army officer who succumbed to his injuries while fighting militants in Kashmir in 2003, the film explores one of the many ways his surviving family deals with grief. When his father’s laptop stops functioning, the company sends a technician whose name happens to be Imtiaz Khan. As the ageing father reluctantly opens his house to a Muslim, there’s indeed a long distance to be covered within the short duration of a couple of minutes.

The Complaint | Short Film of the Day

The film attempts a powerful message, especially relevant in contemporary times, in its short duration, employing a simple, lucid narrative. The most notable aspect of Mehtab (Light of the Moon) are the wonderful visuals, seamlessly weaved together to present its story to the viewer. Essentially, the film is a glimpse into a girl's life who eagerly awaits her father's letters. One day, when instead of going to class, she decides to sit down with sweets and one of the letters, what important message awaits her? The film is calm in its approach, and succeeds in applying it in a wonderful manner. Further, the eponymous name of the protagonist serves as a metaphor for light, both in her own life where a single mother takes care of her, as well as in a world that finds itself plagued with discrimination and communal disharmony.

Mehtab | Short Film of the Day

Very few films get the tone and mood right from the word go and Maidaan happens to fall in that sparsely populated category. As an open playground is taken over by the government to build a temple, the narrative traverses the struggle of a young cricket coach to fight against the decision. The film works on multiple levels and turns out to be a wholesome experience for the viewer. Be it a commentary on religion, the dedication to faith (in a god or in a sport), the refreshing portrayal of women talking about cricket, the protagonist's reading list which includes the famed Richard Dawkins and the acceptance that sometimes there is no right or wrong, simply a difference of belief systems, the film touches upon several aspects, yet does not try to be anything it's not. While this may be a mistake several artists fall prey too, Maidaan sails clear of it and leaves the viewer with a satisfying short film.

Maidaan | Short Film of the Day

The short film has a wonderful message for the viewer - the universal nature of faith. No matter the name we choose for them, Bhagwan or Allah, they are all the same indeed. The strength of the film lies in its writing - how it uses the innocent questions of a child to remind grownups - the simplicity of a truth they have forgotten while raising imaginary walls and boundaries. Laddoo is a good short film, but what keeps it from being great is its massy nature. While keeping its audience in mind, it perhaps attempted to reach out to a larger section of society. This could perhaps explain why it rides so high on emotions, bordering on becoming maudlin in parts. All in all, a decently produced piece of art which deserves brownie points for the intention it sets out with.

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