Ram, a student studying photography at university, is struggling to keep up his attendance record past the required 75%. After hearing of his struggles, some of his fellow students facing similar problems come to his aid and form a plot to restore Ram's attendance record to meet requirements. Looking for faults they can exploit, the students instruct Ram to stop going to classes, while they falsify his attendance by handing in completing assignments. As a result, Ram begins to appear on the attendance records despite being nowhere near the University, allowing the students to make faculty question the way attendance is taken. Unfortunately, the plan backfires when other students concerned over their own attendance rate and mistakes in the system begin to protest using Ram as their motivation and message.
“Ram Needs 75” succeeds in balancing light comedic fare while addressing issues faced by a group of students going to university. The film's ability to balance these two acts is its greatest attribute as the comedic elements help to shed light on the issue, while ensuring the director's message does not become too heavy handed or feel forced on the audience. Although the comedy does stay relatable for the most part, there are a few gags which are a bit more absurd and show that director Rameez Poyil has a greater comedic voice outside of the material within this production.
The one limiting factor of the production may lie within the subject matter which seems derived from personal experience within a less discussed demographic. The issue university students face in the Indian school system is not going to connect on a deeper level with Western audiences, beyond the general understanding of how the University system can be flawed. However, this exists as a factual note and not one of critique, as overall it reflects the director's ability to make an entertaining production despite any disconnection with the content.
The film's technical side does is serviceable to the tone and script content, exceeding in some areas where student films falter a bit more notably. For example, although the movie is shot on a campus, the production still does a good job of using various locations in order to give a larger sense of the school. There is also one shot which takes place out of the campus, which was a nice way to close out the film. The music is simple but well chosen, once again highlighting the comedic tone of the production. The camerawork is consistently strong and shows a good understanding of space and lighting, as the entire film maintains a good visual presence throughout.
Rameez Poyil's “Ram Needs 75” is a quirky short film that managed to keep me invested despite a strong social and cultural disconnect. The production feels aimed towards a school project relating to school issues, over a film looking for a larger audience. While this limits the appeal, it does act as a showcase for good comedic storytelling and an understanding of the technical elements of filmmaking. Overall, “Ram Needs 75” succeeds as a comedic commentary on school life and will appeal to those who have faced similar struggles, but may fall a bit short for those who can't draw much humour from the subject matter.
