This magnificent short film is a powerful commentary on gender inequality and the distorted vision of gender roles in a male-dominated society. Set in a small middle-class Indian apartment, the film presents an episode where a group of male friends are gathered in the living room and having a perfectly great time cracking jokes and discussing politics and life while their wives are arduously working in the kitchen to serve their leisure needs. The unjust contrast between the conditions of the two gender groups is symbolically embodied in the room temperature. The men enjoy a perfectly conditioned room with a wet air cooler, which the female protagonist cares to refill, while the women struggle with the steaming heat of the kitchen and all they have at their disposal is a broken fan which the husband of the protagonist wouldn't bother to fix.
The film is a true example of technic and photographic excellence. The sound design is first-rate, and the setting is amazingly well decorated to create exactly the right environment for the tension that the story seeks to build up. The realism of the proceedings and the entire situation is striking. The brutal portrayal of this 14-minute episode conveys a whole world of inequality towards women much to the point of pure misogyny. But the men are not bad - this is their twisted social and moral mindset cemented in patriarchal convictions for centuries. And this cultural tradition is passed on to the next generation as we see in one of the many enraging moments on display. In this regard, the film is a little critical of the women who accept their fate and never defy tradition. But not all of them. And a true heroine is born in this small little flat.
And this heroine is played by Shefali Shah, an actress of immense acting prowess and screen presence, possessing the deepest understanding of the human condition, a performer the kind of which can rarely be found. In a remarkably realistic and nuanced performance, her every gesture, expression, movement is testament of the rage that is accumulating within her for a good few minutes (or years). But she need not do much to vent it out - just a simple declarative action will do - and that astonishing gaze in her eyes at the end of the show that once seen will never be forgotten, speaks volumes and more than a million words. It's probably the beginning of a massive change. She is phenomenal, and by far the main trump card of this extraordinary, simple and understated but devastating film that should be watched by everyone. It's a masterclass.
