By Nisha Susan
Over on The Big Indian Picture they have lassoed the fearless Raja Sen to do a new column. And thanks to him I’ve just discovered Anubhuti Kashyap‘s delightful short film Moi Marjaani. More below after the video but only if you are unafraid of spoilers.
Of course I’m a bit biased because the film is set in Patiala, a town I discovered only recently and loved for its dandy elderly gentlemen with the most elegant turbans and moustaches I’ve ever seen. Several of whom reminded me of the grandfather of Vikram Chandra’s best character Sartaj Singh who has been shot, is dying but finds time to eat a mango with elan. Not that you see much of Patiala in the film so you should ignore this detour of mine.
As it turns out, moustaches have something to do with this film. The protagonist Mona Chaddha works in an internet cafe in Patiala, has a young son and a warm online romance. She has a good friend who gets distracted sometimes by things like golgappas but is solid when it counts. Her motorcycle is likewise. Unless I missed it there’s no explanation for the missing father of her child. It’s all good but now her Skype lover’s desire to meet her is getting more and more urgent. At the beginning of the movie even the summons from her son’s school screeching about his smoking is eclipsed by the lover’s announcement that he is coming all the way from Bombay to see her. Unfortunately, there couldn’t be a worse time for the meeting. Mona’s about to get a final round of laser treatment to remove her robust goatee. And there’s no way in hell she’s going to let him see her before she’s unbearded.
Given how the whole plot turns around Mona’s facial hair the revelation to the viewer is done with an utterly relaxed air. To find out what happens to Mona and her romance (and to find out what her son thinks of her beard) you will have to watch the movie. But the casualness of the appearance of the goatee should give you a hint of Anubhuti Kashyap’s filmmaking style: an unusual confidence in the viewer and a lack of desire to beat her over the head. Watch Moi Marjaani for 19 minutes of pleasure.