Sukhpreet Kahlon
New Delhi, 30 Dec 2021 18:12 IST
The short film is an insightful reflection of society and the skewed opportunities it presents.
How many times have we found people begging on the streets and wrestled with ourselves about giving them money? The short film Dayalu (The Compassionate), written and directed by Priyanka Banerjee, examines compassion as a business through a couple working to make ends meet.
A husband (Vipin Sharma) and wife (Manjiri Pupala) work hard, juggling multiple jobs, trying to make a life for themselves and their child. Despite their financial condition, they manage to find pleasure in the little things in life and cherish each other’s company. However, the family engages in another act, one that makes us see them in an altogether different light.
The actions of the couple present an interesting conundrum in the film. They are doting parents and earn an honest living. But that is overturned by their deceitful actions later on.
An insightful reflection on society and the opportunities it presents, Dayalu makes one think about the notion of honesty and whether leading an earnest life is enough to claw one’s way out of poverty. We see the stark contrast between young people on the road and the protagonists and come to learn that they are worlds apart. The only way that one can even dream of bridging that gap is perhaps through deception.
Banerjee creates the milieu of the couple’s home and their situation through small instances: the nosy neighbour mocks what she sees as being an extravagance and there are small everyday nuisances that the wife, Urmila, must tackle. Sharma and Pupala bring out the moral complexity of their characters well. The premise of the film stays on with the viewer long after the film is over.
Dayalu is available on Vimeo.