Better late than never.
I finally watched the much talked about short film Chutney by Jyothi Kapur Das,
and here is what I felt.
Full marks to the cast. All actors have a done a fab job,
especially Tisca. The make-up artists who worked on Tisca have done an amazing
job. Might have been a task to make a pretty woman look less attractive.
Story- Novel and very good, Dialogues- Good,
Screenplay- Very good.
Cinematography- Nothing to shout about.
Direction- Good, could have been better.
Editing- Poor.
Couple of observations:
There is dissolve between two shots of cloths set
on fire and it burning. It will be difficult to find such an amateur edit even
in a student film today. Could have put an insert of a digging shot and that
would have sorted it.
The real feel of the film that the director sets
up, is disturbed by a shot of Biki walking-in in high speed. I feel the
high-speed was unnecessary here, because it takes you off the realistic space
you have been set-in. If you really wanted a high-speed shot (if you feel
that’s the only way to add drama) you should have shot it in high-speed, rather
than slowing it down in post, which gives it a Tv serial feel, and degrades the
essence of the style.
An unevenly framed drone shot to end the film?
Again I do not see the purpose of that shot, it only destroys the simplicity
and innocence of the film. Can’t find its significance, dissolving into a
google map!
Could have ended it on a tele-close of the bowl of
Chutney, that would have been simple, classy and meaningful, instead of the
Matrix shot.
Well! Just a few minor err, I felt.
Although one might feel it is over-hyped/over rated, one will
like it for the story, and for Tisca. Execution could have been better, which
could have transformed a good film to a class act.
Applause for the efforts.
