As we often digress into the travails of our daily lives in the USA, the cold hard facts of less fortunate places get lost in superficiality. So we must be reminded, and when a film like Anuja comes along, the guilt sort of shames us. But the 22 minute short by writer/director Adam J. Graves also draws common cause and shows us that nothing is more debilitating than having the human heart deprived.
The sentiment is not lacking for Anuja (Sajda Pathan) and Palak (Ananya Shanbhag). Orphans, Palak has taken on the role of mother, and Shanbhag first comes to us in a voice-over that exudes comfort. In turn, the young actress turns a tragic children’s story tale into a lullaby, and cutting into the present, the caring way she cuddles Anuja speaks volumes for the way family and love can overcome tragedy.
Pathan gives us the first sign in receipt. In her sister’s arm, the grade school thespian takes in the moment like she’s being swayed into security by the clouds above, while her eyes ooze sheer contentment.
Unfortunately, the serenity is interspersed with the life sucking garment factory that the sisters must navigate in order to survive. They spend 14 hours a day there, and the endless days are reinforced by the depression of each singular piano keynote.
Not much better, home seems to be nothing more than a hard cement floor with a couple of pillows. Darkness for sure, the cinematographic lighting by Akash Raje still manages to illuminate these two and suggests that they are being watched over by the angels.
The set up in place, events are incited when we learn that Anuja is a math prodigy, and a prestigious boarding school wants to give her a scholarship. The asking price : 400 rupees and an entrance exam that she will probably ace.
Money isn’t the only obstacle, though. Mr. Verma (Nagesh Bhonsle) owns the factory and embodies third world capitalism in its most ruthless form. Bhonsle is unkempt in his appearance and arrogance dictates that manners are not required. Thus, he’s the lord of his fiefdom, and he knows Robin Hood is not coming to rescue his workers.
Even more chilling, the actor’s wonderfully crude delivery tells us that he is far removed from having to rationalize the exploitation of human beings. So the entire package established, Bhonsle makes it seem that evil is second nature for his character. As a result, the inconvenience of losing one worker is more than he is willing to put up with, and reveals how greed and power can subsume all traces of humanity in a person.
The stark reality doesn’t do much for our spirits either, and the plight of these two girls casts a cloud over our entire species. Fortunately, Anuja and Palak help us think otherwise.
Pathan’s playfulness is all little girl, and together the duo makes magic. At the same time, the actresses also evoke a naiveté that is too young to really despair, and all together, the chemistry completely eviscerates the poverty that surrounds them.
But paving a real path to the future will require more than love and an optimistic mindset. The sisters must pool their resourcefulness and prove that being on the low rung of society doesn’t mean a person lacks initiative and innovation.
Even so, the sisters’ ingenuity didn’t take into account the human element of trying to achieve a pragmatic goal. Boarding School means their relationship will fundamentally change, and the stakes go through the roof.
No way out, Anuja must make a choice. So the end bearing down with the piano keys ticking like a time bomb, we count ourselves lucky for not being in her situation. This even though someday it might be us choosing between a better daily existence, and what makes us human. But at least we know these two girls have a foundation, and no matter how they decide, that gives us all hope.
