Sudarshan Suresh's short film exposes our tolerance of rogue elements that enjoy the tacit approval of the police and society.
Mizaru review: Unsettling commentary on turning a blind eye to the 'guardians of morality'
Cinestaan Rating
Release Date: 29 Oct 2020 / 17min
Sukhpreet Kahlon
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New Delhi, 04 Nov 2020 13:04 IST
Updated: 06 Nov 2020 15:49 IST
Valentine’s Day is a curious day in our country. It not only throws lovers into a tizzy, but it also activates the self-appointed keepers of morality, who harass young lovers in the name of 'protecting Indian culture'.
Sudarshan Suresh's film Mizaru depicts an episode when a couple finds itself in the clutches of these vigilantes. Tabrez (Sumeet Thakur) and Payal (Trimala Adhikari) are students trying to find some alone time on a day marked for the celebration of love. Unable to afford a hotel room, they try to make out discreetly in a public park in Mumbai.
However, the thuggish members of the Youth Culture Party show up, harassing, abusing and manhandling the couple. Meanwhile, the spectacle attracts the attention and curiosity of other people at the park.
Mizaru has been shot in a single long take, with events fluidly unfolding before our eyes, allowing us insights into the characters' feelings. The camera lingers on the muted reaction of Payal, who is confused and enraged but rendered helpless.
The film packs in several concerns, chief among them being the notions of morality and freedom, while examining the deep-seated prejudices that permeate society. In a reflection of what is going on across the world, it is a strong comment on our tolerance of rogue elements that enjoy the tacit approval of the police and society at large.
The title refers to the first of the three monkeys who represent the principle of 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. Mizaru is the one who sees no evil or, rather, turns a blind eye in the face of wrongdoing. Suresh’s film is a comment on how we all, as a society, turn a blind eye towards goons who pose as the guardians of Indian sanskriti (culture).
Mizaru is Suresh’s thesis film from the Columbia University School of the Arts and received the Katharina Otto-Bernstein production grant. It won a Special Mention (for Direction) for the Best of the Festival award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Mizaru is being screened as part of the Dharamshala International Film Festival 2020. You can watch the film here till Sunday 8 November.