Waiting, a film by Anu Menon, showcases the journey of two individuals who are in midst of turbulence and going through most difficult phases of their lives. Anu's previous feature film was London, Paris, New York. Anu has successfully dealt with the human emotions in this film. The griefs, uncertainties, turbulence, and frustrations of the protagonists are handled so sensibly that in spite of the negative situations in the film, the flavour is very much positive. The film had its world premiere in Dubai International Film Festival, and also at Indian Film Festival at Los Angeles (IFFLA 2016). One can very well relate to the situations in which protagonists are in the film. Most of us face such situations in our lives, where our dear ones suffer and are in hospital due to old age, or some accidents or some critical illness. Here is the film of Anu Menon, which connects two individuals during their crisis and 'Waiting' period in the hospital. A beautiful relationship develops between them, who are from two different backgrounds, two different schools of thoughts, two different age groups, one social-media-savvy and the other doesn't even know what twitter is, one easily using 'F***' and 'S***' words, whereas the other is uncomfortable even listening to it. The film does deal with negative situations but it talks about our copability as human beings to cope with the adversities. I think, the plot of the film can be simply conveyed in one sentence, but the beauty of the film is that how the screenplay is developed for this film by Anu Menon and James Ruzicka, which in spite of handling tragedies, is so much positive, full of hope, with so many scenes bringing smile to one's face and above all with a realistic tone. A beautiful film indeed about a special relationship between two protagonists who meet in the hospital nursing their respective spouses in coma. The story is conveyed in a very light-hearted manner with lot of banter and insights, which instantly engages the audience.
Introductory scenes show the entry of Naseeruddin Shah as Shiv Natraj in Aster Medcity hospital in Kochi, Kerala, where he takes care of his wife Padmaja (Suhasini) who is in coma since last 8 months. Another scene is in Mumbai, where Kalki as Tara deshpande is showing a feminist music video to her friends. The video has her promoting sanitary napkins with a song – 'Be free'. I felt that these two scenes through which lead protagonists are introduced, are very thoughtfully written and edited, since it gives the audience an insight into the personalities of the two main characters - Shiv Natraj and Tara Deshpande. Shiv's maturity (a retired professor) and medical awareness and young Tara's (in her twenties) free spirited nature is shown through these scenes.
The happy-go-lucky Tara's world gets upside down, when she gets a visitor Bharat from her husband Rajat Deshpande's (Arjun Mathur) office, who informs her about Rajat's accident and his being critical and admitted in Cochin hospital. Tara, absolutely in shock, flies from Mumbai to Cochin. She reaches Aster Medcity where she finds her husband in coma after brain injury.
Waiting in the hospital canteen, she meets Shiv, almost diametrically opposite in nature. Shiv appears balanced, whereas Tara a bit impulsive. Tara, whose marriage to Rajat (hardly six weeks of marriage) was not supported by either parents, and in spite of having some odd 1400 friends on facebook, followers on twitter, finds herself literally alone while she awaits some positive developments in Rajat's case. Shiv, who fondly talks about his wonderful 40 years of marriage to Padmaja, also does feel lonely at heart. Shiv feels that people of Tara's generation are so impulsive, want quick fixes to solutions. In spite of being different, a beautiful relationship develops between Shiv and Tara.
Both Shiv and Tara reach a pivotal point where they have to take crucial decisions (although those decisions don't guarantee 100% recovery of their spouses). Shiv doesn't know, how to live without Pankaja and Tara does not know how Rajat would live his life if physically crippled.
Rest of the film is about how Shiv and Tara handle the most difficult phases of their lives. Are Shiv and Tara able to find answers to the human predicament bound to suffering and grief? Are they able to shift their own ideas of attachment and love for their beloved? Are they able to reexamine their own individual ideas of love and attachment? How two different individuals unknown to each other evolve to become kindred spirits and help each other out? How such a grim situation of hospital is handled in the film, what magic the sense of humour creates in such a crisis? The film highlights and makes us ponder over a very vital point: What does it really mean to love someone – is it to let go of your beloved in spite of your emotional need for them or is it to unconditionally accept them in whichever shape or form they are. How is their journey of inner transformation, when on one side, their world is falling apart externally?
'Waiting', a film by Anu Menon, instantly engages the audience by conveying a grim story of tragedies in a very light-hearted manner with lot of banter and insights. The film makes us ponder over a very vital point: What does it really mean to love someone – is it to let go of your beloved in spite of your emotional need for them or is it to unconditionally accept them in whichever shape or form they are. Wonderfully captured on screen by cinematographer Neha Parti Martiyani and deftly edited by Nitin Baid & Apurva Asrani makes this story of tragedies a delightful watch.
Introductory scenes show the entry of Naseeruddin Shah as Shiv Natraj in Aster Medcity hospital in Kochi, Kerala, where he takes care of his wife Padmaja (Suhasini) who is in coma since last 8 months. Another scene is in Mumbai, where Kalki as Tara deshpande is showing a feminist music video to her friends. The video has her promoting sanitary napkins with a song – 'Be free'. I felt that these two scenes through which lead protagonists are introduced, are very thoughtfully written and edited, since it gives the audience an insight into the personalities of the two main characters - Shiv Natraj and Tara Deshpande. Shiv's maturity (a retired professor) and medical awareness and young Tara's (in her twenties) free spirited nature is shown through these scenes.
The happy-go-lucky Tara's world gets upside down, when she gets a visitor Bharat from her husband Rajat Deshpande's (Arjun Mathur) office, who informs her about Rajat's accident and his being critical and admitted in Cochin hospital. Tara, absolutely in shock, flies from Mumbai to Cochin. She reaches Aster Medcity where she finds her husband in coma after brain injury.
Waiting in the hospital canteen, she meets Shiv, almost diametrically opposite in nature. Shiv appears balanced, whereas Tara a bit impulsive. Tara, whose marriage to Rajat (hardly six weeks of marriage) was not supported by either parents, and in spite of having some odd 1400 friends on facebook, followers on twitter, finds herself literally alone while she awaits some positive developments in Rajat's case. Shiv, who fondly talks about his wonderful 40 years of marriage to Padmaja, also does feel lonely at heart. Shiv feels that people of Tara's generation are so impulsive, want quick fixes to solutions. In spite of being different, a beautiful relationship develops between Shiv and Tara.
Both Shiv and Tara reach a pivotal point where they have to take crucial decisions (although those decisions don't guarantee 100% recovery of their spouses). Shiv doesn't know, how to live without Pankaja and Tara does not know how Rajat would live his life if physically crippled.
Rest of the film is about how Shiv and Tara handle the most difficult phases of their lives. Are Shiv and Tara able to find answers to the human predicament bound to suffering and grief? Are they able to shift their own ideas of attachment and love for their beloved? Are they able to reexamine their own individual ideas of love and attachment? How two different individuals unknown to each other evolve to become kindred spirits and help each other out? How such a grim situation of hospital is handled in the film, what magic the sense of humour creates in such a crisis? The film highlights and makes us ponder over a very vital point: What does it really mean to love someone – is it to let go of your beloved in spite of your emotional need for them or is it to unconditionally accept them in whichever shape or form they are. How is their journey of inner transformation, when on one side, their world is falling apart externally?
'Waiting', a film by Anu Menon, instantly engages the audience by conveying a grim story of tragedies in a very light-hearted manner with lot of banter and insights. The film makes us ponder over a very vital point: What does it really mean to love someone – is it to let go of your beloved in spite of your emotional need for them or is it to unconditionally accept them in whichever shape or form they are. Wonderfully captured on screen by cinematographer Neha Parti Martiyani and deftly edited by Nitin Baid & Apurva Asrani makes this story of tragedies a delightful watch.
