Adnyat review: An unsatisfactory venture into the meaning of life and death

A young village boy, seemingly an orphan, observes the rituals men embrace when someone they love dies. A young Christian mother is buried, beautifully dressed, as her toddler cries at her grave. A crowd of Hindu men chant and carry the body of a woman, while Muslim men gather dirt to be thrown at another grave.

What does all this have to with an 8-year-old boy? By observing these events he is preparing to deal with the loss of someone he loves. And in the relentless, pouring rain, the young boy prepares the grave — digs it out, fashions a cross and gathers dirt from the mourners at the Muslim burial.

The scenes in the mostly silent (except for a few folk songs playing in the background) Marathi short film seem disjointed and out of place. By the time, you begin to understand the boy's mission, the story had ended, that too, unsatisfactorily.

The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Vishal Sangwai, with the look and feel of a period film. The incessant rain adds to the melancholy feel of the short, but eventually the emotions displayed within seem quite cold. The use of a CGI vulture, perhaps representing death, seemed unnecessary.

However, Piyush Thakrey, who plays the young boy, carries the film on his shoulders and has turned in a physical and emotional performance that deserves a mention.

Writer-director Santosh Davakhar has sought out to delve into themes of religion but the execution left the reviewer puzzled. Perhaps, the theme can be better explored in a feature.

Adnyat was screened as part of the Prism International section of the 15th Mumbai International Film Festival on 30 January 2018.