The concept of what constitutes a family has been one of the most beloved themes of cinema internationally, while movies focusing on death have been coming out of India quite intently lately (to say the least), with “Hotel Salvation” and “Outside the Burning Ghats” being the first that come to mind. Shubham Sanjau Sheavde combines the two concepts in one of his latest shorts.
“A Trial Before Monsoon” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Devdutta Deshmukh is a lung cancer patient, who has just escaped from the hospital, ending up in his daughter’s house, a lawyer with suicidal tendencies named Shrija. To her astonishment, her father wants to hire to get a divorce from his wife of 40 years, in order to be free to travel to Mexico to attend the Day of the Dead. Their dialogue becomes an argument about both their future, and the past of the family, as the controlling of the mother, the overdramatic of the father, and the loss of the daughter come to the fore. Shrija eventually leaves the house to meet her father’s bid, but as a monsoon is approaching, she also makes a decision about the future.
Shubham Sanjay Sheavde directs a movie that is split in two parts. The first part focuses on the interaction between father and daughter, who seem to be connected through death, much more than through family ties. Their interaction, despite the fact that it deals with rather serious matters, including, love, death, and family, is actually quite playful, with Devdutta Deshmukh teasing his daughter about her profession, and she responding in equal fashion, despite her evident angst and surprise. Their family situation is also revealed through this dialogue, which, additionally, focuses on the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
The stage-play premises of the part benefit the most by the acting, with Mohan Agashe as Devdutta giving an impressive performance, appearing both playful and determined, and Tanvi Kulkarni responding greatly to his “nudges”. Their chemistry in those scenes is probably the best trait of the short.
The second part has Shrija moving outside the house, and it is here where Amol Salunkhe’s cinematography truly thrives, with a number of images of intense beauty, particularly those of the sky and a brief one where she appears with the face colors usually associated with the Day of the Dead. On the other hand, that Shrija watches a family playing together as she walks is a bit too on-the-nose, although it can be justified in the whole comment, about the value of family in the most extreme situations, which Sheavde seems to want to make. At the same time, the fact she is also suicidal is a bit excessive for the script, even if this element is eventually used in order to state one should never lose hope.
“A Trial Before Monsoon” has some faults, but in general highlights Sheavde’s direction, both in the interior, stage-play like part, and the exterior one, as much as the excellent casting, which is the aspect that allows the movie to truly stand out.
