Spotlight June 23, 2022
By Kissa Ghar with 6.8
comedy · Short Films · english
A matriarch feels the reins of the household she runs going lax, and the winds turning in the favor of a younger woman, her son’s girlfriend, Nia. From a vegan diet to feminism and lingerie, there is little sense she can make of everything that Nia has ushered in.
As the documentary crew follows the hapless Mrs. Sharda around the house, she touts her advice for everyone to do Yoga every day, while disapproving of Nia’s views on politics, likening the fate of the Indian Prime Minister to her own. After all, running a country and running a household without familial support are indeed the same things, are they not?
The mockumentary is a cheery, colorful ride, carried most effortlessly on the shoulders of our busybody mother, suffused with her misguided, and sometimes even superficial, concern for her overly co-dependent son. There is not a dull moment in the story, keeping you amused throughout.
The protagonist's domestic help is another notable, Pip-like-character, only waiting to break free, perhaps leaving the door open for even a spin-off of her own (mis)adventures in this household where everything seems to be going awry. There are a few punches that the narrative misses when it comes to the pacing, more so in the second half. However, the tonality and approach remain constant all along. Much like its title and the mixed sweetness and sourness of life it stands for, the film too becomes an eclectic coming together of different moods and tastes, with humor as a common thread tying them together.
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