Rishaya Palkhivala’s short documentary endearingly presents the vulnerability and simplicity of the two sisters.
Cinestaan Curates: Roshan & Mani is a loving portrait of sisters in their sunset years
Cinestaan Rating
Release Date: 05 Mar 2019 / 20min
Sukhpreet Kahlon | New Delhi, 08 Oct 2021 13:30 IST
Directed by Rishaya Palkhivala, the short documentary Roshan & Mani poignantly portrays the lives of two elderly sisters living together. The Parsi sisters have their own quirks as they argue with and jokingly criticize each other, but through it all, we see the love and dedication that the two of them share.
Through the documentary, we get to know about the distinct personalities of the two women. Mani is finicky and has led a protected life while Roshan is more laidback and believes in keeping herself busy. Their reactions to ordinary questions, their descriptions of themselves, their love for each other even as the elder sister fondly calls her younger sister names; all offer tender vignettes of the life that they share.
Palkhivala’s short documentary features disjointed conversations strung together and peppered with details that enable us to imagine the lives of the siblings. Roshan worries about her older sister as Mani is losing her ability to remember her present while Mani regrets a particular thing in her past.
The film endearingly presents both the vulnerability and the simplicity of the two sisters who are remarkably frank about themselves. We see them coping with old age and contemplating their mortality, keeping their sense of humour intact through it all.
A student film made by Palkhivala at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad; Roshan & Mani was screened at several film festivals and is now available on YouTube.