Indian Reviews Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival Marathi Reviews Media Partners Reviews

Film Review: A Match (2023) by Jayant Digambar Somalkar

A Match still
"I fought a hard battle to get women the right to study. But I stood up to everyone and didn't give up my education"

It seems that working with non-actors has become a staple for Asian cinema, with Indian filmmakers in particular ( comes to mind) being quite adept at it. For his debut feature, ““. also implements this approach, in an effort that had the movie premiering at Toronto, where it won the NETPAC Award.

A Match is screening at Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival

JAFF Logo 2024

In the introductory scene, we see a young man participating in a procedure that looks like an interview, where he is asked his full name, his mother’s name and tribe, his studies, his hobbies and his height, in a situation that would seem ridiculous if it wasn’t so realistic. It turns out, however, that in rural areas in India this is actually a staple, although not for men, but for women, something that becomes apparent as we watch Savita, the protagonist, waking up from what was a dream, and soon being the one participating in the ‘interview’, just like the rest of the girls in the area. Even worse in her case, and while she is actually more prone to finish her studies in sociology, she has become the burden of her parents, since she is repeatedly turned down by the families of the suitors, for reasons as absurd as her height.

At the same time, a teacher in her school seems to be interested in her, but pursuing this becomes more and more difficult, even when the families actually come closer together. In the meantime, her brother, Mangya, is also tormented, since he is in love with a girl, but he has to wait for his sister to get married before he pursues his own, with the time ticking as both their parents do not know anything about the two’s relationship. Meanwhile, a friend of Sarita’s is in love with a young man but her parents have chosen someone else for her.

Check also this video

Considering that the cast consists exclusively of local non-actors, and the permeating realism of “A Match”, Jayant Digambar Somalkar has come up with movie that frequently functions as a documentary of sorts, with the extensive sequences of marital procedures being the apogee of this approach. The same applies to the times Savita has to answer the same questions, even in public, in a sequence that is repeated a number of times with growing impact actually, and is the one where documentary and drama most impressively co-exist.

Through the story of these youths and their families, the comments Somalkar wants to make become quite apparent. Patriarchy, conservatism and customs, including the concept of dowry have become a rather significant burden for everyone, essentially keeping youths and particularly girls from progressing socially and professionally, thus perpetuating a rather problematic situation for everyone involved. And while the consequences of these anachronisms are more evident in girls, Somalkar, quite pragmatically, does not stop there. The pain both Mangya and Daulatrao, her father, have to face are also highlighted, with the two actually taking over the last part of the movie, adding even more to its dramatic premises, as despair becomes a main component of their lives too.

In this fashion, the director manages to analyze the situation from all perspectives, highlighting the phenomena in all their appalling glory, once again through a combination of documentary-like realism and drama. As such, the very ending, is one of the most satisfying scenes in the film, even if probably the only where realism is set aside and emotion takes over.

The acting is actually on a very high level, despite the inexperience of the protagonists. gives an imposing performance as Savita, highlighting her silent discomfort in the most eloquent fashion. as Daulatrao is equally impressive, particularly close to the end of the film, while plays Mangya convincingly, even if there are moments his acting could be better.

Manoj Karmakar’s cinematography focuses on realism, with his presentation of the various aspects of rural life being quite accurate, and his occasional close-ups, particularly on Chikte’s face, well implemented. Abhijit Deshpande’s editing results in a fast tempo that works quite well for the narrative, not allowing the movie to lag at any point, while, in a trait of both direction and editing, the repeating ‘interview’ scene is actually more impactful every time it appears on screen.

“A Match” is a gem of a film, one that manages to highlight the particular social issues realistically and economically, remaining, however, entertaining from beginning to end.

About the author

Panos Kotzathanasis

Panagiotis (Panos) Kotzathanasis is a film critic and reviewer, specialized in Asian Cinema. He is the owner and administrator of Asian Movie Pulse, one of the biggest portals dealing with Asian cinema. He is a frequent writer in Hancinema, Taste of Cinema, and his texts can be found in a number of other publications including SIRP in Estonia, Film.sk in Slovakia, Asian Dialogue in the UK, Cinefil in Japan and Filmbuff in India.

Since 2019, he cooperates with Thessaloniki Cinematheque in Greece, curating various tributes to Asian cinema. He has participated, with video recordings and text, on a number of Asian movie releases, for Spectrum, Dekanalog and Error 4444. He has taken part as an expert on the Erasmus+ program, “Asian Cinema Education”, on the Asian Cinema Education International Journalism and Film Criticism Course.

Apart from a member of FIPRESCI and the Greek Cinema Critics Association, he is also a member of NETPAC, the Hellenic Film Academy and the Online Film Critics Association.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

>