Aban Bharucha Deohans'short film taps into the murderous rage hidden within everyone, but is let down by some unconvincing performances.
Teaspoon review: Middling short film that fails to touch on thrill or emotion of the story
Cinestaan Rating
Release Date: 2015 / 20min
Shriram Iyengar
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23 Feb 2019 9:00 IST
Updated: 27 Feb 2019 17:10 IST
The sorrow, and sometimes pain, of having a bed-ridden patient at home is a familiar one for many in India. Women, are often the victims of a job that is thankless and left unnoticed by many in the family.
Aban Bharucha Deohans' Teaspoon tells the story of one such caregiver Kavita (Shree Swara), for whom the chore of taking care of her father-in-law (Bomi Dotivala) is preceded by the annoying noise of the tapping of his teaspoon.
Kavita is an ambitious woman, who seems to be tied down to the house because of her father-in-law. Her piling list of cosmetic products, which she delivers to customers, is one of the main concerns. The short begins with an introduction to her daily chores. Speaking with a neighbour as she makes breakfast for her father-in-law, she goes on with her day without a complaint.
But her help is neither appreciated nor acknowledged. Her husband, Rajiv (Vaquar), is lost in his own world of cost-cutting and business trips. So Kavita throws herself back into the same routine day in and day out.
The problem with the short is the limited performances of Shree Swara and Vaquar. At points in the film, Swara does not look convincing in the role as a caregiver. The emotions run on the surface. Deohans does not explore the conflict on a deeper level, or build the tension better either. The moment of climax when it arrives, feels almost predictable, taking away from the thrill of the short.
The tension between the father-in-law and Kavita is also not elevated or sudden. It keeps going on a moderate tempo, which makes anticipating the sudden rush of anger predictable.
It is not helped by the middling performances in the film. It makes for an unconvincing watch.
That is what eventually lets the short down. While it has a relatable and interesting concept going for it, the narrative and treatment makes for a middling watch.
Teaspoon is available on video-on-demand platform VOOT.