The Table Fan Story | Short Film of the Day

Short Film of the Day March 5, 2021

The Table Fan Story

By Kaushal Shah with 7

drama · Short Films · gujarati

The Indian familial space is often fraught with disagreements, a constant power tussle between the parents and their children, and the latter's attempts to reject this dynamic. Additionally, these differences are intricately tied with both oppression as well as love and care, making the situation even more complex, ensuring blurring of neat categories of affection and intolerance towards one's way of life. The film is a powerful exploration of all of this. It further offers an impactful interpretation and its own unique portrayal of the same.

Viewers are introduced to two parallel plot lines, of past and present, along with a simultaneous unfolding of events in both to communicate the film's intentions in a notable manner. At its heart, the story is one common to many households - a young woman deciding to break away from the strict code of conduct set in place by her father to eventually embark upon a life of her own choosing. And yet, the manner in which it is handled and treated by the film allows the story to stand on its own two feet, without letting it have echoes or influences of the narratives before it.

The major body of the drama develops around a table with a fan on it, earning the film its title - a metaphor about the two opposite sides on which the two couples sit, along with the distance between them. It is also the performances of the same characters which steal the show, effortlessly carrying the entire film on their shoulders. As for the fate of this family, when all has been said and done, will there ever be the possibility of a space of acceptance? Will familial love truly be able to conquer the divisions set in motion by human-made identities?
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