Another absolute highlight of the program of this year's Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is “Aise Hee” by Kislay. With his first feature film the Indian director tells the touching story of an elderly woman. The co-writer of Ivan Ayr acclaimed feature “Soni”, developed here on his own a truly mesmerizing drama.
Mrs. Sharma just lost her husband to whom she was married for over 50 years. Finally she is able to decide for herself, she thinks, and she politely refuses the offer of her daughter to move in with her. There is nothing against it, that the still vital and independent woman keeps living in her own house. But this is not the opinion of her son who lives next door to her. As a radio speaker he doesn't earn very much. He struggles more and more to make ends meet and speculates on renting out the spaces occupied by his mother. First, Sharma Junior tries to speak to his mother on a more polite tone. But the less she listens to him, the more he gets offended.
Then Mrs. Sharma shows a behavior that irritates all of her surrounding. She starts to take classes of embroidery at a local tailor workshop, spending a lot of time with the unmarried owner. Her second friend is not very fitting for a woman of her class either. Since the girl works at a beauty saloon and is unmarried, she is of poor morals. The lightness Mrs. Sharma gained from her new life and acquaintances is only of short duration. After a while, not only she resents the dislike of her community, but also the tailor and the girl. Her son involves some elderly to put his mother back on track. Mrs. Sharma strength to oppose herself ends eventually.
Kislay speaks in his film about traditional role models. Women are not in charge of money, neither do they live alone. There is always a father and husband who takes care of them, as for the family of Sharma Jr. At home he is the master, at work he is a servile employee that can't stand up for his rights. The contrast in this character is very interesting. In front of the more powerful, people tend to bow, to restore their pride, they pick on the weaker. This is the reality between mother and son, but also between sister and brother. The children of Sharma Jr. develop a particular conflict. The brother feels authorized from one day to another to control his sister. He acts up as the guardian of good morals and prohibits her to see her boyfriend. It's a superiority that is justified also by the community. As a man, even though he is still a boy in fact, he has the right to do so.
Even though Sharma Jr.'s wife looks up to her mother-in-law, she doesn't like the right order to be disturbed. And Mrs. Sharma is above all a disturbance. She dares to decide for herself. She dares to still have a will to live. Her behavior is an affront against all the others who are caught in their routine. As a good elderly woman, she is supposed to give up any extravagance.
There is an immense calm in the character of Mrs. Sharma. Mohini Sharma gives to the role an impressive dignity. Her charisma is enormous. Same goes for the rest of the cast. Harish Khanna as Sharma Jr. and Sadhna Singh as his wife stand out in particular, as a fantastic cast that supports the film in the best fashion.
“Aise Hee” convinces also through a coherent and confident formal approach. Saumyananda Sahi who is responsible for the camera, finds an unobtrusive perspective on the life of the protagonists. The camera is discreet and has a nearly documentary character. This is why the story feels very authentic. To support this aspect, the director decided to include archive photos to the movie that show several of the actors in their younger days. These real pictures create a sort of backstory for the fictional characters. This is a very intriguing method.
Kislay's first feature may be a bit too long, but it's a movie that strikes the viewer irrevocably. It's the portrait of not only one woman, but of several. It's also the portrait of a society on the verge of change. Ideas of modern and alternative life plans emerge, but are still kept prisoners of tradition and patriarchy. “Aise Hee” is a real discovery and a gem of independent filmmaking.
