Terribly Tiny Talkies
Every Mother's Day, our news feed is invariably covered with a number of commercials that try to exploit the "Mothers Are Awesome" trope through emotionally manipulative, excessively schmaltzy videos.
The intent is to promote the brand while using Mother's Day as a proxy to send the message of how socially conscious they are. At times, these ads also backfire as they tap into the stereotypical depiction of mothers.
'Jai Mata Di,' a new production by the online production company, Terribly Tiny Talkies, challenges that very trope in the way it interprets the idea of a 'mother.'
Beautifully shot, the film is about a young unmarried couple trying to rent an apartment in Mumbai, where they encounter self-appointed moral guardians posing as chairperson/secretary of the housing society.
Like anyone who has ever rented an apartment in Mumbai can tell you, finding a house isn't as difficult as convincing the landlords of the sanctity of your character.
Shriya Pilgaonkar and Shiv Pandit play the role of the young, still-confused, occasionally-bickering couple and both of them are very convincing in their parts, especially Shriya, who impresses with her casual charm. But the scene-stealer in the short is undoubtedly the guy playing the real-estate agent -- Saanand Verma, and Supriya Pilgaonkar, who plays (and is, in real-life), Shriya's mother.
Written and directed by Navjot Gulati, the film does have some logical loopholes. For instance, a simple police-verification, which is compulsory, will bust the couple's modus operandi in a second. Also, the way the cab scenes are shot, they veer totally into Ramu-territory.
However, the film features some clever banter and a rather cool interpretation of what our mothers are capable of doing, which makes it worth watching.
Here's what Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap had to say about it:
Great fun! Watch out for the actor playing the head of the building society! He's genius! https://t.co/fBqWuxWpcR
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) May 13, 2017
Anurag Kashyap
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