The Kannada short film is centred on two millennials whose lives intersect during the countrywide lockdown.
Oh Fish review: Fun, refreshing take on unexpected connections
Cinestaan Rating
Release Date: 28 Aug 2020 / 10min
Sukhpreet Kahlon
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New Delhi, 25 Sep 2020 1:00 IST
Updated: 29 Mar 2021 21:02 IST
Love blossoms in unexpected places in Vidhyaa B Reddy’s Kannada short film Oh Fish, a refreshing take on the COVID-19 lockdown that sees two millennials' lives accidentally intersect.
Harshita (Vainidhi Jagdish) and Abhi (Dheekshith Shetty) live by themselves in an apartment complex. One day, Harshita, nudged by a sudden craving, places an order for fish while Abhi calls for eggs to whip up an omelette. However, on receiving their groceries, they realize there has been a mix-up and set out to fix the error, which leads them down an unexpected path.
Produced by Kettle Studios, the short film showcases the ways in which people bond amid extraordinary situations. Reddy, who has also written the script, nails the little details about being sequestered indoors and about the fears of stepping out. The writing also emphasizes the inter-connectedness of our lives, where one constantly keeps in touch with family and friends with phone calls and video chats which make isolation bearable. In fact, at one point, Abhi is chided by his mother on the phone for his long beard!
The performances of both Vainidhi and Shetty are commendable, but the former especially shines as the effervescent young woman who wants to eat fish at all costs.
Reddy's film, refreshingly, is a light-hearted look at a situation that has largely been explored through the lenses of loneliness, mental health issues and the sheer isolation that all of us have felt in these extraordinary circumstances. It foregrounds the similarities of our experiences and a shared camaraderie in the fact that we are all in this together.