LGBT topics are on the rise recently on Asian cinema, with a number of directors dealing with the subject across countries and issues faced. At the same time, though, most of the time, the focus is on the young, who also present a particular visual appeal, with very few exceptions, as in the works of Ray Yeung for example. Chandradeep Das opts to focus on two elderly women, in order to highlight how love can bloom under any circumstances, without omitting, though, to highlight the difficulties such relationships pose in a setting such as India’s.
Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The two protagonists are Meera and Indira, both of which are residing in a retirement home, and find themselves falling in love. While Indira urges Meera to wear the garland she has made for her in public, she is still afraid of the public outcry. Meanwhile, their meetings take place in secret, in the dark, while much of their dialogues actually happen through recordings they exchange, not to mention through secret glances and smiles happening, some of which are even one sided on occasion.
The approach Das implements here is quite appealing, with the romance blooming in secret being a delight to watch, particularly when the protagonists are shown smiling subtly. At the same time, though, the issues patriatchy poses are also highlighted quite thoroughly. As we listen to the two women talking about the abuse they suffer, and the fear they express about being public on their feelings for each other, the setting they inhabit becomes rather apparent. The specter of amnesia and the concept of memory also looms over the two women, in an aspect, though, that seems somewhat far-fetched, with the same applying to the poetry element.
The visual approach implemented by Manas Bhattacharyya suits the story to perfection, with the majority of the movie taking place in the dark, and him utilizing the shadows in impressive fashion. The same applies to the few voyeuristic scenes, while the presentation of the bettel nuts and their inclusion in the narrative is definitely a highlight. Aritra Dutta Banik’s editing results in a relatively slow pace, that both suits the narrative and allows the story to unfold without particular rushing in the 14 minutes of the short.
Sudipa Basu as Meera and Uma Jhunjhunwala as Indira are quite convincing in the roles, with their voice-acting and their overall laconic demeanor being equally impactful.
Despite a few moments of hyperbole in the narrative, “Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn” emerges as a rather competent film, that realistically looks at what a relationship of two elderly lesbians would look like in India nowadays, without omitting the entertainment factor, presented here through a rather appealing, subtle romance.
