Tanuja Chandra's documentary
‘Aunty Sudha, Aunty Radha’, follows her real aunts who live
in a rural part of North India along with a retinue of their domestic helpers.

<h2>The two nonagenarians are the centre of a peculiar, little, self-sustained community in Mathura. All of their household helpers have been there for decades. They work with reverence, making serving the two women seem almost like a devotional ritual. </h2> In return, for their
sustenance, the vast farmlands in the property are equally divided to provide them surplus crop.
Aunty Radha’s son, who devised the arrangement and bought the property, frequents them
once a week. Rest of the time the house is run at the whims of Sudha, the younger, much more
dominant sibling. 

It is a unique set-up, one that most people cannot hope to afford, but that is not the point of this
film. It is about what truly matters in life. The relationship between the two women is explored
simultaneously in depth along with the everyday occurrences of their life and
times. It is a symbiotic dependence of two souls that have been together for ages, and cannot
fathom to be apart. In each other, they have found a reason to make the rest of their life worth
so much more. Perhaps it is each others’ company that has prolonged their lives, and kept them healthy. 


<h2>Chandra’s care for the subject is translated well into the film that is profound without ever trying. The
film’s grammar feels as delicate as blown glass. It treats its characters with affectionate care, love and a sense of security that pervades throughout. </h2>

Life is alright in this little community
and there is nothing else, but all-pervasive positivity that has made its home there. The experience of being part
of a loving, synchronised community is visible in the household helpers. The cook who knows she
will never quite satisfy Aunty Sudha’s demands, the experienced gardener who is happy to tend
to flowers and laugh at the women's quips, another helper who is much closer to the old women

and understands the responsibility that comes with it; the sense of spirituality of daily life is found
in every member of the house.

 
Through characters that are old, and preparing for the ultimate eventuality, the film affirms life
itself in its most rudimentary form. Happiness is not only to be found in success, or grand events that
surround one, but merely the conscious act of living for oneself, and being there for the people
around you is sufficient. This film is an experience that places one’s faith in living, and in the ordinary, mundane experiences of life that remain grossly underrated.

 
Written by Nimish K Sharma

Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha | Shorted Screening | Tanuja Chandra

The film offers a very involving, skilled narrative that presents its many developments at a gradual, organic pace. The story is constructed with care, ensuring it remains imbued with thrill as well as a shocking progression of events in the most unexpected manner. 

However, the world it conjures to share all of this with the viewer, at first glance, is far from it. It’s simply a conversation between two sisters until one realizes that the space is rife with resentment, bitterness, and a constant threat of violence. 

Anu has walked out on her relationship in the middle of the night, asking her sister to come pick her up. Even in the face of the darkness of an empty, lonely corner of a street, or gawking strangers, or a little-too-inquisitive cops, she is undaunted. The same resilience is present in her elder sister as well. When these elements and characteristics are tied together neatly at the film’s conclusion, supplemented by the chemistry, and notable performances of the two actors, they present a story of far darker occurrences than the viewer might have expected at the beginning.

Anu Aur Di | Short Film of the Day

The short film is the story of two sisters where the elder one takes care of her younger sibling who is in a wheelchair. As she struggles to keep up with her various responsibilities, she finds herself tempted to go down a dark path from where there is no return. The narrative introduces us to various moments of their affection and intimacy. This is done perhaps intentionally to achieve an element of shock at what follows. The manner in which events develop in the story is aimed to provide a jarring image in direct contrast to the earlier ones of love and sisterhood. While light and dark continue to wage a battle within the protagonist, who will be victorious at the end of it all?

Pratibimbo | Short Film Nominee

The narrative takes us into the poverty-ridden household of two sisters. While one of the children goes to school to be met by a loving sister at the end of her day, the other sells gajras at a traffic light. The two seem to be striving and surviving in their adverse universe, but still finding the comfort in each other. In this world of familial harmony, albeit with its obstacles, the drama comes to focus on a single, inane object - a slice of cake. Thus begins another journey, one to collect enough money in time for the younger sister's birthday to buy her the pastry she wants. The film runs the danger of being maudlin, primarily owing to its background score, but pulls itself back in time. The narrative further depicts morality finally saving the day. However, would it truly lead to the two sisters achieving their heart's desire?

Pastry | Short Film Nominee

Enter the lives of Ritika and Khushi, two sisters whose world is defined by their relationship and the small desires surrounding it. One day, a little object disturbs the peace and status quo of this realm, and that object is a little notebook that has magically appeared from their grandfather's bag. As the younger Khushi finds herself unhappy at the circumstance, the older sister sets her mind to making her feel better. 
In the process, the story is allowed a portrayal and shared with the viewer. The narrative, though showing a want of a tighter control on its sound and visuals, remains marked by its sweet and honest story, perhaps also sowing the seeds for more similar storytelling by the filmmaker.

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