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Film Review: Shadow of Water (Chola) (2019) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

A film that communicates its harsh but pragmatist comment in rather gripping fashion, and a movie that will definitely leave its viewers shaking.

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has previously explored the place of woman in the Keralan society quite intensely in “Sexy Durga”; however, it seems the comments he wanted to make did not reach his apogee in that film, since “ (aka ) is rather harsher in its pragmatism.

Janu is a teenager girl who has agreed to take a trip to the city with her boyfriend (he remains nameless throughout the movie), behind her mother's back. When the day to travel comes, however, Janu finds out that her boyfriend has also invited his boss to drive them in his jeep, a bear-like man who does not seem particularly friendly from the get-go. Janu is scared and quite frustrated, but her boyfriend's “teasing” eventually makes her relax. The three of them reach the city where the couple is left alone to enjoy the urban setting, shop for clothes for Janu and spend some time by the beach. However, upon their return, they learn that her mother has discovered her “escape” and trouble is brewing back home, and upon the Boss's instigation, they decide to spend the night in the city, in a kind of hotel that is rather rundown. Janu is scared and does not want to go, raising hell with her protests, but her boyfriend's pleads, the boss's harsh insistence, and the fact that there is no alternative somehow convince her. Soon, however, her fear comes true, while the ending of the story, quite fittingly in context if surprisingly, finds the trio in the jungle.

directs a movie where the tension begins from the first moment and never actually ceases, in a style that, particularly in the finale is not for the fainthearted. This throat-gripping approach benefits the most by 's performance as Janu, who manages to communicate her fear, hopelessness, and eventually thirst for revenge in the most eloquent fashion. Her voice, cries, and yells actually form the soundtrack of the movie, communicating the overall sense that something awful is about to happen Sasidharan wanted to give, in the best fashion.

As the story progresses, one thing becomes clear: the world the three protagonists inhabit is a jungle, with their appearances, demeanor, and actions communicating the fact with a brutal pragmatism, and even more so by the location of the finale. The Boss is like a bear, a dominant creature who knows that he can do whatever he wants and no one can stop him, including laws, society, and in this case, the people with him. Janu's boyfriend is like a small dog, always running around making noise, being completely faithful, never abandoning his boss (both the actual one and Janu in this case) but who also finds himself completely unable to make a change on what is happening. Janu can be interpreted as any kind of female animal in the jungle, a creature that is there just to serve the (sexual) whims of the males, without any kind of opportunity at free will or means of escape. A minor incident that takes place on the beach, before the hotel events, also communicates the fact that in this setting, the alternative could be the same or even worse.

These dynamics are highlighted even more after the “incident”, with the attitude of both Janu and her boyfriend finding explanation only through the acceptance of the aforementioned concept: this is a jungle, and the law of the strong prevails. Both as Boss and as the boyfriend communicate this approach excellently, benefitting by both their acting and their overall appearance, also exemplifying the work done in the casting.

As the movie unfolds, the thriller elements become more dominant, eventually taking over from the romantic/drama premises, with the hotel, and particularly its presentation highlighting the fact quite intently. In that regard, Ajith Acharya's cinematography communicates the possibility that something bad is going to happen in excellent fashion, although his work finds its apogee in the scenes in the jungle, as the thriller eventually turns into a very realistic horror. The same quality also extends to Sasidharan's editing, with the buildup of the tension through the succession of the scenes being one of the film's best traits.

The finale, and a number of Janu's actions (and non-actions) are a bit difficult to interpret or fathom for that matter, and could even be perceived as somewhat offensive towards women. However, the whole concept of the jungle justifies her being completely lost between the whims of men. At the same time, Sasidharan has said about this aspect: “As a man, I understand there are limits and biases to my understanding of the female experience, and I invite the discussion I hope this film brings.

“Shadow of the Water” is a film that communicates its harsh but pragmatist comment in rather gripping fashion, and a movie that will definitely leave its viewers shaking.

About the author

Panos Kotzathanasis

My name is Panos Kotzathanasis and I am Greek. Being a fan of Asian cinema and especially of Chinese kung fu and Japanese samurai movies since I was a little kid, I cultivated that love during my adolescence, to extend to the whole of SE Asia.

Starting from my own blog in Greek, I then moved on to write for some of the major publications in Greece, and in a number of websites dealing with (Asian) cinema, such as Taste of Cinema, Hancinema, EasternKicks, Chinese Policy Institute, and of course, Asian Movie Pulse. in which I still continue to contribute.

In the beginning of 2017, I launched my own website, Asian Film Vault, which I merged in 2018 with Asian Movie Pulse, creating the most complete website about the Asian movie industry, as it deals with almost every country from East and South Asia, and definitely all genres.

You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

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