During the lockdown, a number of filmmakers decided to shoot films remotely, to the point that even a specific, unofficial category emerged, “Quarantine Films”. “Happy Quarantine” is one of those productions, which manages, though, to stand out due to its sense of humor.
“Happy Quarantine” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The irony starts from the beginning, as the story begins in 2035, a year that the lockdown that started in 2020 still carries on. Aladdin and Jasmine, who have been lovers beforehand, have not managed to meet all these years, with their relationship being limited to just video-calling. Jasmine whines to Aladdin that he must do something, and he continues placing his hopes to a magic lamp he has in his hands, hoping that the genie inside will eventually come out and help him meet his love. Eventually, the sleeping genie does wake up, but his attitude is didactic rather than helpful.
The playful approach, both visually and contextually, Mithun Debnath takes in his less than 7-minute-short is what truly sets the film apart. Regarding the fist aspect, gorgeous Bidita Bag is dressed as a modern, sexy Jasmine, while Mithun Debnath is dressed as a more carnival-style Aladdin, with the motley colors of his room highlighting the fact as much as Jasmine asking him why he is dressed like Jack Sparrow. This joke brings us to the second aspect, with the rapport between the two being truly hilarious, particularly due to Jasmine's naivety and Aladdin's almost desperate replies. “Why don't you just board your flying carpet? asks the former, only for the latter to reply that lock down measures prevent him from doing so. The joke about rubbing the magic lamp is also hilarious, with the same applying to the ways Jasmine is spending her time while Aladdin tries to get the genie to come out.
The initial reaction of of Dibyendu Bhattacharya in the role of the magic creature also moves in the same humorist way but it is somewhere here that the message Debnath wants to communicate, comes forward: instead of putting their hopes to the supernatural, people should just heed the instructions of the authorities, a message that gains a rather deeper meaning considering the current situation in India.
Mithun Debnath has made the most of the restrictions of the lockdown and came up with one of the most entertaining quarantine films.
