A Potpourri of Vestiges Review
Rimli Bhattacharya
"Maybe
you'll remember that razor-faced man
who slipped out from the dark like a blade
and - before we realized - knew what was there:
he saw the smoke and concluded fire.
The pallid woman with black hair
rose like a fish from the abyss,
and the two of them built up a contraption,
armed to the teeth, against love.
Man and woman, they felled mountains and gardens,
then went down to the river, they scaled the walls,
they hoisted their atrocious artillery up the hill.
Then love knew it was called love.
And when I lifted my eyes to your name,
suddenly your heart showed me my way."
How many of us read love poems by famous poets? If you have read then just know love will stay with you. And if you haven’t read yet you still have time with you. Read. Love is what keeps us going.
All of us have fallen in love at least once in a lifetime. The other day someone commented ‘love is weird, as it takes one to wrong places.’ I didn’t know what to answer. Weird love? How do I take it? No, love is devoid of any form, weird is a far cry. Rohini Gera in her move says so. And I believe she is correct.
The movie released – Is love enough? Sir. It was released on 14 May 2018 (Cannes), 20 September 2018 (Netherlands) and 13 November 2020 (India). Directed by Rohini Gera and produced by Rohini and Brice Poisson the film starred two major characters Tillotama Shome as the maid Ratnaand, Vivek Gomber as Ashwin the wealthy architect who actually aspires to be a writer.
Ratna who becomes a widow at 19 is employed by Ashwin. She works as a live in maid. The film opens with an upset Ashwin storming inside his apartment. Apparently it was his wedding day with his longtime girlfriend Sabina but learns later that she has cheated on him and Ashwin also realizes that he too actually didn’t love Sabina. Ratna cooks, cleans and takes care of Ashwin though she dreams to be a fashion designer someday. In the meantime Ashwin heals from the setback and life gets kinder on him. Ratna and Ashwin shares a good chemistry and on learning about Ratna’s ambition gifts her a sewing machine. Ashwin a decent man even takes up for Ratna when his friend rebukes Ratna for spilling a drink on her skirt. Everything was hunky dory till the day of Ganpati Visharjan Ashwin spots Ratna dancing to the tunes of the drums. Ratna on seeing Ashwin accompanies him to the flat and we the audiences can figure out an unspoken intimacy develops between them. Upon reaching the apartment they share a kiss. Ratna quickly withdraws herself and keep saying Ashwin that this relationship is not going to work. First, it is forbidden. Second, the differences in social strata. And third, Aswhin’s parents will not be able to bear this. They had already lost one son and they cannot to lose the other. Ashwin persists and asks her not to address him by sir but to call him by his first name. Realizing that Ashwin will not be able to control his emotions Ratna leaves his house. Two days later she gets hired by Ashwin’s friend who is a fashion designer. She rushes to Ashwin’s apartment but finds the flat locked. Quite unexpectedly she gets a call from Ashwin and realizing her status is now at par with him she addresses him by his first name “Ashwin.”
One of the top 10 trending movies on Netflix it’s worth a watch. Says Tanvi Dhote in Republic “The Rohena Gera film was released back in 2018 and garnered critical acclaim in film festivals across the globe but did not receive much love in theatres…” But we audiences who have watched on Netflix have proved the statement wrong.
Ratna’s acting skills doesn’t require an adjective as she is more than closest to perfection. Her ambition, her pride and her commitment towards her work is commendable. Further says Tanvi “The cinematography of the film often makes us realize how contrasting lives both these characters live while staying in the same luxurious apartment. Ashwin on one hand is served like a king on the dinner table, while Ratna eats on the kitchen floor. Apart from making you think, Is Love Enough? Sir never diverts from its intention, all thanks to its wonderful dialogues. Every dialogue in this film takes the plot further and adds a new dimension to the story. These lines go hand-in-hand with each actor’s brilliant dialogue delivery and realistic portrayal of their characters.
The film drags in between but that doesn’t prevent the audiences to resist the curiosity on what next. The movie gains potential and also is an eye opener that points on how in a metro city like Mumbai a high rise can be constructed right beside a slum. Ratna a struggling maid has high ambitions but she doesn’t know how to fulfill them. Ashwin on the other hand come from an affluent family and can get anything and everything which he wants. But then again money isn’t everything, it cannot buy love.
Aside amongst all these complexities the film roars and soars high. Kudos to Rohena Gera for showcasing this excellent movie, Dominique Colinfor the excellent cinematography and Jacques Comets and Baptiste Ribrault for the brilliant editing.
In closure I say love can be found
anywhere just that we need to know where to hit the nail. In the suffocating
world Rohena Gera’s movie is a path breaking one which stimulates our inner
core – the heart.
About Author
Rimli Bhattacharya is a first class gold medalist in Mechanical Engineering with a MBA in supply chain management. She has contributed to two anthologies, A Book of light and Muffled Moans and has written two solo books, The crosshairs of life and That day it rained and other stories. Her other works have appeared in twenty nine literary magazines & E – Zines. She is also an Indian Classical dancer. Views expressed are personal.
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