As mentioned before, the quarantine did not prove enough to constrain the filmmaker’s imagination and need to express themselves, resulting in a number of works that were shot within the constraining measures. “Migratory” (aka Porijayi) is one of those shorts
The narrative is comprised of a series of shots, first of various buildings through a window and then of the inside of an apartment. what gives the visual of the film a unique sense however, is that all the shots are almost completely dark, and are lighted just from the thunders falling around the area. In this setting, a couple, a man and a wife, begin to talk, although we never see them.
The man wants to talk about their relationship, but the woman keeps changing the subject, to the lack of pollution in the Ganges, to Mumbai beaches and other topics. The man sounds annoyed by the fact, but he succumbs.
The 7-minute short is as minimal as possible and the only things worth mentioning are the way the thunder is used as the sole source of lighting, giving a rather eerie essence to the film, and that the protagonists do not appear at all, which seems to signify psychological impact the quarantine measure had on couples, who could not see but only listen to each other through phones.
Chaterji’s effort is not bad considering the restrictions, but “Migratory” seems like more of a medium of personal expression and an effort to “escape” the quarantine, than an actual movie, since there are very little cinematic elements there to justify the term.
