पोखर के दुनु पार

Ek, Darbhanga mein internet saalon se pohonch gaya hai, lekin uske chalte joh possibility youth jaan gaye hain ki mumkin hai, usko reality banaane ke saadhan pohonchaane ka praayas uss gati se nahi ho hi nahi raha hai. Doosra, how the pandemic and the lockdown changed our perception of what companionship really is, once we are made to evaluate our relationships kyunki aur kuch hai nahi karne ko. Teesra, the imperative need to change the idea of “masculinity” as we are teaching young men. Sumit ko jab help ki zaroorat bhi hai, na woh theek se verbalize kar paata hai, even in front of his childhood friend, and even the friend, who otherwise is kind hearted, is able to express a whole lot beyond mumbling mildly re-assuring half promises. Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar, which translates to both sides of the pond, is a borderline exasperating viewing experience. Priyanka’s helpless inability to choose between a rock and a hard place and Sumit’s gaslighting of her as his equally idiotic friends pull him further away from the right path, will make you squirm with anger. The film’s desired effect comes out beautifully in front of Pradeep Vignavelu’s patience camerawork. He steadily, quietly and sneakily eavesdrops into long takes of seemingly improvised conversations, giving the actors a real opportunity to play with their characters and the audience to people watch. One scene particularly stands out – Sumit and his friends are loudly and obnoxiously getting drunk of cheap whiskey drank out of plastic cups on a balcony talking about the world and each other in all kinds of derogatory ways. As the scene begins to get on your nerves and youre beginning to drift away from the moment and start wondering why the director is refusing to call cut, the setting changes and you realise this boy baithak is happening RIGHT outside Priyanka’s room in the dilapidated hostel they live in, she listen just on other side of her open window. While WE have been listening and slowly getting mad at these good for nothing idiots, so has she, her rage and agony 10 times worse than ours.